MPC, 2nd February 2003.James 5 - "Pressing On"
Maurie Cropper MPC, 2nd February 2003.
Back in the late 70's, Helen and I tried to have a go at living off the land.
I had recently finished my horticultural course. And we found a small 40 acre property to rent west of Sydney.
The property had a million gallon dam on it. And I was full of enthusiasm for the venture ahead.
But I didn't figure on one simple but important thing. Drought!
Over the next eight months it never rained a drop.
Every day I would get up to blue skies. The water in the dam was disappearing, and the more I used it, the more it would evaporate, and the more depressed I got.
I knew things were bad ...when one day I woke up, walked outside to a blue sky - and cried.
Every day for the previous eight months we'd prayed for rain. And none came.
I had become so emotional weary that I found it hard to pray.
I reckon it's that sort of weariness that the church in Jerusalem, the one that James is the leader of, was experiencing.
This is a church that was up against terribly hard times. After-all, this is the church that the Apostle Paul had organised a collection of money [1 Cor. 16ff]. And in Acts [20:22-23] he said "...I'm going to Jerusalem ...knowing that prison and hardships are facing me."
So when James wrote to the other churches, he was writing from experience. The experience of a church that has faced trials ever since believers first gathered together in Jerusalem.
And because of their suffering, there's the potential for them to give up on God and on each other. So here in chapter 5 James is coming to the end of his letter and he's encouraging everyone ...not to give up.
It's clear that in the first part of chapter 5, James is aware that members of the church are copping it from all angles. Even rich landlords and employers are sticking the boot in. James addresses these wealthy people, ..rich people, who have misused their wealth at the expense of the poor. And in tones reminiscent of the Old Testament prophets, he denounces them. Stressing the certainty of judgement that awaits those who exploit the poor.
So in this context, James once again turns to those who are hurting.
The not so rich!
And having acknowledged their heart-ache he tells them of two things they are to do to cope with their suffering.
And if you flick back a page in your bible, you'll note that James has come full circle. He began his letter with words of encouragement to persevere in the face of trials, and now in closing his letter James returns to the matter of perseverance in trials and concludes with two more thoughts.
Patience, and prayer. Two incredibly obvious things - yet so hard to put into practice, and especially at times of suffering or trials.
And to help us understand what patience looks like, James paints a couple of pictures.
The first one is of the farmer who must wait patiently for the autumn and spring rains to fall before he can harvest his summer crops.
To the farmer it's a well known fact. No rain. No harvest. No crop. They know what it's like to be patient. And while patience won't bring rain, it can help overcome the stress that no rain brings.
At Nightchurch the other week I was talking to Kylie Buchanan's brother who has a large property near St. George, west of Brisbane. He was telling us about how dry it was. And the fact that they haven't seen any decent rain for ages. Some areas haven't had any good rain for years. And the lack of rain means no work or income for many people.
And even though they're hanging out for rain, I couldn't get over how patient he and his wife appeared. Patience in the midst of hard times and suffering. The farmer, patiently waiting for rain.
It's that same sort of patience that James wants his listeners in Jerusalem, or Brisbane to understand, and to have.
The fact that he says it three times in quick succession adds weight to the emphasis that he's placing on being patient.
And James is aware that 'patience' goes two ways.
As they suffer they are to stand firm and be patient.
And in their suffering, they aren't to take out their hurt on others.
Taking out your hurt on others is like as James said in chapter four, "...sitting in judgment .." on others.
And being patient includes, not grumbling to or about others. Which is a huge temptation for anyone who is hurting or under pressure.
Besides, according to James, grumbling against your brother will bring judgement upon you.
Therefore, be patient, and in your patience - verse 8 "stand firm, and don't grumble against your brother, or you will be judged."
And it's interesting to note that the word grumble in the Greek refers to those same sorts of internal and unexpressed feelings that 'rage within' ...which James spoke of again in chapter four. Feelings that fuel "intense envy".
And just like then, when James says stop, he means stop.
We all know exactly what he means because we've all said it.
"When I say stop I mean stop"!
Well, so does James. His command to stop 'grumbling' means now!
So it's clear isn't it? If in your suffering you are grumbling - and especially habitually grumbling, ...then you aren't being patient. You aren't standing firm. And you certainly aren't modeling patience and faith to others, especially to your church family! Which might be easier said than done.
Yet I am humbled by those who suffer - but don't grumble.
I reckon they're simply amazing!
So the first example of patience was the farmer waiting patiently for rain.
Now James reminds his readers of those who in the past have spoken up in the name of the Lord; those prophets who had placed their life on the line for Him and not given up.
It's like James is saying: 'You know who I'm referring to. Guys like the prophets of old. Elisha, Elijah, Amos and Isaiah and Jeremiah who, because they spoke up for the Lord, suffered terribly. And people like Job, who might have struggled and question the Lord, but never abandoned his faith.
Listen again how James puts it.
Verse 10 "Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. as you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance ..."
James might have had the words of his brother in mind. Those words that Jesus spoke on the side of a mountain. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." [Matthew 5:11,12]
And something worth noting from verse 11. James is in the middle of reminding us about the example of patience in both the prophet's suffering and Job's perseverance, when he says something that could be very easily missed. Pick it up half way through verse 11: "You have heard of Job's perseverance ... and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."
What was it they saw ' .. that the Lord finally brought about?'
What was it that James and the others saw that made James conclude: "The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." Well, while it might be argued that James was referring to the 'ending of Job's suffering', ...it could be that James is making a clear reference to the death and resurrection of his brother.
After all, what greater example is there of patience and perseverance, compassion and mercy, than the trial, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
I think that Jesus is central to a lot of what James says, including verse 12.
"Above all, my brothers, do not swear - not even by heaven or earth or by anything else. Let your yes be yes and your no be no, or you will be condemned."
It's almost a paraphrase of what Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 5:34-37.
And as a verse standing alone it doesn't make a lot of sense to why James would use it here.
But it appears that James is saying, when you're being impatient... with your mind going all over the place and any sense of self-control has simply gone out the window... then that's not the time to be making oaths or promises in God's name.
So the way to avoid saying the wrong thing is firstly to be patient, and then stick strictly to the truth in your ordinary speech, avoiding exaggeration and half-truths.
Not that that's easy when you're weary. And especially weariness that's come from dealing with a stressful situation. Because in the midst of stress, all sorts of things can be said that is later regretted.
It's just so hard when you are weary to be patient. We need help. Not that anyone else can step in and be patient for us. But they can step in and pray for us.
Which brings us to James' second point regarding perseverance, and that's being prayerful
And it's no accident that Elijah gets a mention.
It fits perfectly with the context of a weary Christian, but one who trusts God.
James is aware of the events surrounding Elijah's life.
During Elijah's time Israel was at one of its lowest points in its relationship with God. So as a weary prophet of God, Elijah turns to prayer, trusting that God would hear his prayer.
Pick it up at verse 17.
"Elijah was a man like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, the earth produced crops."
The common Old Testament metaphor for spiritual poverty, spiritual weariness... is drought.
If drought is about spiritual dryness then James is stressing the point that you don't have to go it alone. You can have others pray for you and with you.
Verse 13. "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick [or as the Greek word here and in verse 15 is most often translated - weary]? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord."
And as in James' church we at Mitchelton also have elders. Elders to whom you can call on to pray over you, with you, for you. As has happened in the past, they can even anoint with oil.
So whether it's one of us, or your Growth Group leader, or a close friend, or the Prayer Chain, there are any number of people that you can call on to support you in prayer.
And in supporting those who are suffering, or weary and burdened, during times of spiritual dryness, our prayers may involve confessing the things that we have wrongly done to others, and seeking their forgiveness, so that relationships will be mended. Or as James says it in verse 16 "...confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
James is a no-nonsense leader of the church in Jerusalem.
A church that has faced trials of all kinds. Trials and suffering that can wear you down physically, emotionally and spiritually. Life experiences that can ring you dry as any drought, ..and unless you patiently and prayerfully persevere, supporting and encouraging one another, ...you could potentially backslide and wander further and further from the truth. Further and further from God's people.
I want to say this: we're in this together
We need to have a genuine concern for each other.
We need to make sure that when someone is weary in their Christian life, worn down by their circumstance, struggling and finding life difficult, ...we need to be their ready to give them the encouragement they need. We need to be there to pray with them and to keep them on track with Jesus.
Verse 19 "My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins."
As a church family we're in this together.
We need to encourage others to keep pressing on in our relationship with Jesus. to keep trusting him through every situation and circumstance in life. We need to hang in together.
And it doesn't so much matter .... how you encourage others.
What matters is that you do it!!