Read
James 1:9-11
At first glance, you may not quite get what is being
said in these verses. This is where a
“commentary” is helpful. You might be
asking, “What is a commentary?” Well, a
commentary explains verses so you can understand them better. Commentaries are written by people who are well
versed in the history and language of the Bible. Another name for them is theologians. Some people have STUDY BIBLES, which have
commentaries at the bottom of every page in their Bible.
Now, back to James
1:9-11… Read it one more time. What
does this mean exactly?
Rich people and poor people will have extreme pressure to
focus on the world rather than on Christ.
How do you think a rich person might focus on the world rather than
Christ? How do you think a poor person might
focus on the world rather than Christ?
Seriously, answer these questions and talk to God out loud here.
In these verses, James is trying to get the attention
of the poor and the rich at the same time.
He is saying that Christians who are poor should boast, or brag, about
their high status in Christ. The “lowly
brother” will be lifted up and watched out for by God!! And for the Christian who is rich… he says
they should boast, or brag, in their humiliation. Humiliation??
That sounds terrible though. Why
would God want that? Well…
1. When a Christian who is rich loses
their money for some reason, it is good because they realize that their wealth
is for a short time and it does not make them any more special before God.
2. Also, when a Christian who is rich
loses their money for some reason, it is good because they now understand what
it is to be poor. They will have
gentleness for those who are without.
Get ready, because tomorrow we are going to
start memorizing a verse. Remember, as
Christians, we should be hiding ourselves in God’s word…
… like the
little child who hides behind is mom.
Robyn was here
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