Monday: Class Struggle
As every literature evangelist knows, very often those who have the least are willing to sacrifice the mostto buy Christian books. Well-to-do neighborhoods tend to be tough territory to sell books in, because the people who live there may be content with what they have and so very often do not feel their need of God as much as those who have less. The same phenomenon is also detectable on a much larger scale: the church often has grown the fastest in places and periods of economic and social stress. After all, aren’t even those individuals who are struggling with big issues often more open to the hope presented in the story of Jesus than are those who think that things are going great for them?
Image © Jeff Preston from GoodSalt.com
Read James 2:5-6. How does James expand here on what he wrote in the four previous verses?
Judging from this passage, it would seem that there were major issues in the church among the rich and the poor. God chose the poor who, though rejected by the world, were rich in faith,
while the rich used their wealth to oppress
the poor. This problem, that of the rich exploiting the poor, was an ever-present reality at that time. Even worse, Roman law codified discrimination against the poor and in favor of the rich. Persons of lower class, who were thought to act from economic self-interest, could not bring accusations against persons of higher class, and the laws prescribed harsher penalties for lower-class persons convicted of offenses than for offenders from the higher class.
-Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1993), p. 694.
Read James 2:7. What important point does James make here about the impact of this bad behavior?
Their bad behavior is really blasphemy against the good name
of Jesus. Bad actions are bad enough in and of themselves; what makes them worse is when those who profess the name of Jesus do them. And even worse would be those who, in the name of Jesus, use their wealth or power to gain advantage over others in the churches, which often leads to divisions and quarrels. Hence, how careful we should be that our words and actions match the good name
we associate ourselves with.
(23)
There are those who have never been in a situation of serious want, and do not have significant experiential knowledge of what it means to lack. These have much to be thankful for. Then there are others of us who experienced financial need very early in life or perhaps sometime later. While we may not claim to be rich God has improved our situation at least a little. We have reason for thanksgiving also.
Of those with changed circumstances God especially expects us to look out for the less fortunate, not to make repayment for the blessing which brought us out poverty, but having been through tough times ourselves to more readily identify with the suffering. More than those who have always been sheltered we may be touched with the feeling of the needy.
Sometimes the Lord allows us to fall on hard times so we may become more sensitive to those who are suffering or starving and seem to be in another world, one devoid of material blessings. Temporary deprivation may actually help us in better times to remember the poor in this world whom God has chosen to be "rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him" (James 2:5).
Particularly for those who live in a capital driven society there is open, as well as subtle pressure to climb the economic ladder, and this often leads to exploiting others in creative ways (2 Samuel 12:2-4). As well pressure may lead to aligning with those who are already wealthy and elevated, if only to acquire the secrets of success. Yet Jesus spent more time with the destitute and had more to offer the underprivileged, not because He was being partial to a class, but as a result of their pressing need and more receptive hearts.
Interestingly relationships with the poor are more likely to be lasting, for they are more likely to be in Heaven according to the Savior (Luke 18:24, 25).
This can also be true of illness.
Many times God may use temporary illness on our part to help us empathize with the chronically or severely ill.
Acts 2 gives a good example of how the early church practiced what James talks about. If we follow that example, we will have thousands entering the church daily.
If we make it our mission to treat everyone with respect, class struggle disolves. We pray that the Strong will give us strength. We have no strength within ourselves to imitate the One who gave us our name, Christians.
It is through serious struggles that we learn to look to Christ to pull us through. As long as the human has the ability to help himself, he doesn't have a NEED for Christ (because he doesn't KNOW that he has a need for Christ). The person who seeks the Lord to carry them through understands that Christ has a better plan and has designed each of us uniquely. We are limited. The rich person has not usually learned yet that he is limited. He uses his resources to manage his situations. The only difference between the rich and poor is that those resources are exhausted more quickly for the poor than the rich. That is why it is easier for the poor to come more quickly to learn to trust in Christ rather than himself.
Paul lays out other examples of individuals from whom the church needs to disassociate. The word for disassociate means “to not keep close company with.” He gives a list that includes the sexually immoral, greedy, idolater, slanderer, drunk, and cheat. Individuals who have no desire to change their behavior, but still want to be seen as brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul’s command is that they disassociate from and not even eat with such a one. How then should we reconcile this instruction with the one that admonishes us "not prefer one over the other"?
"Paul’s command is that they disassociate from and not even eat with such a one. How then should we reconcile this instruction with the one that admonishes us "not prefer one over the other"?"
DoveofPeace: We do not have to frequent a tavern or brothel to love (and pray for) a drunkard or prostitute (Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32; Matthew 9:13).
Dove of Peace, that is really a thought provoking question.
Maybe we have expanded the instruction.
Maybe what James is saying is that when you get two genuine Christians but the only difference is one is rich and the other is poor and that people should not favour the rich one just because he is rich.
I think Paul's instruction is more not to participate in a lifestyle that is not in harmony with the character of God than of how to treat individuals.
You summarised Paul's exhortation well:
He specifically told members not to associate with those members who live immoral lives while professing to be followers of Christ:
He had written to the believers to discipline such members, and not associating with them if they refused to repent was part of the discipline.
James's instruction "not to prefer one over another" was within the church and, particularly, in reference to preferring wealthier members over poorer ones. It seems to me that he was addressing a very different situation.
Unluckily, we still have the same problem. The justice system seems to favor the rich over the poor. Because of financial constraints the poor have been exploited and denied justice as the rich enjoy the privilege of undeserved freedom. This times of the end are much characterised by such behavior in our society. However, a question that should ring in our heads how does that affect us directly or indirectly. How do we treat those a step below us in economic and even social ladder? Are we able to feet into the sandals of our savior?
Yes, when I read the lesson I was offended by Roman law that gave the rich lesser penalties for the same wrongdoing as poor people.
But then I was impressed that things are largely the same way today.
Sometimes we as Christians fail to realize the effects of our witness. When we favor those who have over those who don't, when we separate ourselves in cliques and exclusive groups, we blaspheme the name of God. This is what I understand James to say in James 2:7.
We put Christ to open shame because we reject His teaching and example of how we are to treat one another. There is no Jew, Greek, Black or White, male or female in Christ.
As Jesus prayed while on this earth, "I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." John 17:23. God will answer this prayer Jesus prayed in us, His children. We are one in Christ.
"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28.
Let us not be so quick 'to judge all those who are rich'. There are many wealthy Christians who donate to various causes and support needs that others may not even know about. Maybe the Lord has chosen to make rich, those whom He knows will share the wealth without the need to be acknowledged! Our work needs wealth to finish the task 'to teach all nations', so those who have wealth and use it for God's work are making an important contribution.
The vast majority of the wealth that propels God's work comes from the sacrifices of ordinary people.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
Class Struggle:
Is rich/poor the only class struggle?
What about culture, race, religion: are they also not types of 'class struggle'
It appears that the issue of Class Struggle in the context of the lesson really centers on the internal relationship within the church. It seems almost natural that in this world we are made to feel that those who are rich in this world's goods are better than we are. No one tells us this, but none-the-less I've seen the scene acted out numerous times. James 2:7, 8 is a rebuke to both the rich and poor especially within the church--the body of believers--to make right the context in which we view each other and how we treat each other. As the lesson makes clear, "…how careful we should be that our works and actions match the "good name" we associate ourselves with"--that name being Jesus Christ our Lord!
2Cor.5:16 is a great text. Sr. White(WM ch. 1) says even creating wealth is a talent. But instead of encouraging the rich to worship God in truth we flatter them with praises and respect, making it hard for them to be humble. Even Pastors are closer to the rich than to the poor. It is impossible to pretend that we are impartial on the Sabbath because we are so much in worldly judgment from Sunday to Friday.
Perceptive comment, Yvette.
So, really, members who treat the wealthy differently are putting stumbling blocks in their way by encouraging them in pride.
Classification of the rich or the poor is largely subjective and specific to times and geographical settings. The highest paid worker in Malawi, my beautiful country, may be the lowest paid elsewhere. The good news is that heaven is more glorious than any of our imaginations on planet Earth. Why waste time on the so called rich people of this world? This is why we fall prey to phony preachers who dwell on earthly prosperity messages and very little if any, on the heavenly bliss which the Bible emphasizes so greatly.
Wow, to disassociate with people who are sinners seems to me oppisite of what Christ taught. Christ set the example of association with sinners after prayer and supliction with our Father, with an attitude of how can I serve the Holy Spirit, not the other way around. We are to allow Christ to disassociate ourselves from there sins. That means refusing to go with them to the night club, but excepting an invitation to a Royals game, next year of course, or 18 holes of golf.
Are you referring to the reference to Paul's counsel in 1 Cor 5:9-11?
Note that this was specifically in reference to a church disciplinary situation.
We are not to associate with those engaged in blatant sin in the church - no accepting dinner or golfing invitations - so that they may recognize their need of change. By supporting such persons in their sinful ways, we are NOT demonstrating love, but preventing them from repenting.
And in our association with persons in the world, we need to be "social to save" - associating for their salvation and not just our entertainment.
Somebody should talk of the white and black conferences we have. The classification is classifying people. We have liberals and conservatives. The prayer of Christ is to be one has he and the father are one.This includes one faith , one hope one baptism and one doctrine of Jesus Christ. Am tried of this please God come and take us home
The rich and the poor both have the exact same natural condition - a sinful heart that is naturally opposed to God. the poor man’s heart is not naturally accepting of God one bit more than the rich man. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. God, Himself, tells us what He has done.