In Houston, we know all about heat waves. The humidity can sometimes raise the heat index ten degrees higher than it actually is. Our weather forecasts often include both actual temperatures and feels-like temperatures. At times, we experience seasons of drought when it becomes unlawful to run your sprinkler or even wash your car. Our otherwise flourishing yards can turn into wastelands. Flowers wither, and beauty perishes.
This is how James describes those who put their trust in earthly pursuits. Trials prove our faith like fire refines gold from ore. They separate the good from the bad, the heavenly from the earthly. This is why those who possess saving faith ask God for wisdom without doubting. They trust Him, not themselves. They rely on God, not man. They hold fast to heavenly wisdom, not worldly buyouts. With this in mind, James directs our attention to some very practical pictures.
“Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits”
James 1:9-11
The polarization of the poor and the rich was a significant test for James’ readers. He addresses this issue multiple times in his epistle. His setting must not have been so different from what we experience in America today. We pride ourselves on being a wealthy country, but we are not short on poverty. The gap between the rich and the poor is wide.
In America, the poor are often shunned and viewed as a nuisance, while the wealthy are revered as models of success and placed on pedestals. Our culture is led by pop culture, which celebrates excess, exalts money, encourages self-indulgence, and excuses immorality in favor of pursuing whatever desires one may have. You could say the American dream has morphed into an American nightmare.
Unfortunately, this “dream” has captivated the hearts of many Christians. Like the Pharisees of the New Testament, some leaders argue that wealth is an indicator of spirituality and God’s favor. They claim that the more wealth you have, the more spiritual and blessed you are.
In Jesus’ sermon contrasting these “spiritual” people, He taught us not to be like those hypocrites:
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matt. 6:19-21
In the same sermon, He reminded believers to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Jesus encouraged believers by reminding them that God is our provider and that our focus should be on Him and not on worldly things.
Still, money has a way of becoming our provider at times. So much so that we tend to have two masters if we are not careful. How we handle money, then, is a test. Some pursue riches in hopes of escaping the ordinary trials of life. But if you have ever known a wealthy person, you know that they are often full of troubles—trouble trusting friends, trouble with being robbed, and especially trouble with feeding their desires.
James has something to say about this: “Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation” (Ja. 1:9-10). If you look closely at this passage, you will see significant wordplay. With an even closer look—deep into the original language—you will find an even deeper truth about the power of trials. Let’s dig in.
The words translated “lowly” and “humiliation” share the same root. The former is an adjective. The latter is a noun. Both words refer to a state of being low to the ground. This word group was often used to describe slaves in that day as a derisive term. Slaves would sit on the floor. They were people who lived just above the ground, socially speaking. In verse 9, “lowly” figuratively means “humble,” and in verse 10, “humiliation” means “being made humble.”
These two words parallel their two counterparts in the same passage, which also share a common textual domain. Instead of low to the ground, the word “rich” (Ja. 1:10) referred to people who were socially lifted up and high. They sat in the good seats where they would be reverenced. Instead of being made low, the word “exaltation” (Ja. 1:9) referred to being lifted up to high status.
What is interesting about these two counter-word groups is that they are arranged paradoxical. James says the low will be made high while the high will be made low. In context, his point is that trials can turn what man sees upside-down and right-side up. It’s not so much that they level the playing field but that they make things right.
Remember when the disciples asked Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He responded with:
“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 18:1-4
Socially speaking, children were also low to the ground (physically speaking, too, I guess). They were dependent humans. They needed external care and assistance. They made little to no contribution to society. So, they were often shoved aside during important matters. They were humble (lowly) humans. Jesus’ point, much like James’ point, is that humble humans are the greatest (exalted) in the kingdom of God.
This is further evidenced by James’ use of the word “brother” (Ja. 1:9). The rich are not so. They do not belong in the family of God. They are not like children, dependent upon grace, recognizing that they are spiritually bankrupt and have nothing to offer. And nothing interferes with their faith in God.
Trials uplift the humble and humble the self-lifted.
This is a critical point in James’ letter. He returns to address the sinners again in chapter 4 during the trial of loyalty, commanding them to “humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you,” basically using this same formula to call them to repentance (Ja. 4:10). So, don’t miss the point: the lowly will be exalted.
This same idea was prominent in Jesus’ sermon from the Mount. It was a sermon about life in the kingdom. He taught how citizens of heaven lived, thought, felt, talked, walked, related, and behaved. He even described the character of a kingdom citizen, which is how he began His sermon.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Matthew 5:3-6
The word “blessed” can easily be substituted for the word “saved” or “exalted.” It described the spiritual status of a kingdom citizen. He was raised up with Christ and therefore, blessed (Eph. 2:6). The blessed one is first described as “poor” (lowly). He is then described as one who mourns, is meek, and has hunger and thirst. These are all nuanced terms of humility. Those who are humble inherit the kingdom of heaven.
With that in mind, let’s zoom back out to see the entire verse in perspective, “Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation” (Ja. 1:9). The word “let” means to “allow” or to not interfere. The word “boast” means to take pleasure and rejoice in something. In other words, James is saying that, when it comes to trials, the humble will not interfere with God’s process but endure and count it all joy because it is making him better.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the rich.
Those who are “rich” in this context are those who are proud of their earthly things. They are not humble. They do not have a sense of their dependency and need for God. They take pride in their possessions and popularity, and they trust in themselves. Therefore, James says they will be humiliated by the stripping of the things they trust.
“… the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.”
James 1:10-11
In Matthew 19, a rich man approached Jesus seeking salvation. He asked, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” His question already revealed his heart. He trusted in his ability. He was a man of wealth. And, based on the way he framed his question, he was a self-made man of great status. He assumed that there was something else he could do to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus, knowing the man’s heart, directly responded to his issue with trust. “Sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Matt. 19:16-22). The rich man was not happy about Jesus’ response. Scripture says he “went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (Matt. 19:16-22). He abandoned salvation because he trusted in his stuff.
Seizing the opportunity, Jesus turned to His disciples to teach them about the impossibility of being saved by your own merit:
“Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 19:23–24
It is not easy for a camel to squeeze itself through the eye of a needle by any stretch of the imagination. It is impossible. In the same way, it is impossible for the rich person, who trusts in his own riches and merit and prestige, to enter the kingdom of heaven. This is why Jesus added, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:25-26).
Salvation comes from God. He alone can save man. Therefore, only those who are truely humble, poor in spirit, can be saved, because they recognize their spiritual bankruptcy and trust in the grace of God. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3).
Now, back to James. His point is simply this: Trials are powerful. They make believers better and unbelievers bitter. They exalt the humble and tear down the proud. James says those who trust in their earthly prestige are ”like a flower of the grass” and “he will pass away” (Ja. 1:10). And, he illustrates this point in the most vivid way.
In his illustration the scorching heat of the sun portrays the melting fire of trials. They scorch the grass until its flowers wilt and fall dead. Their beauty and presitge perishes. They are turned to dust. The picture is so striking, you can see it.
Earlier in the epistle, James says that trials produce steadfastness and that, when you let steadfastness have its full effect, you are perfected by God (Ja. 1:3-4). Then, immediately after this vivid illustration, he declares, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life” (Ja. 1:12).
This cannot be said of those who trust in their own merit. Instead, he uses words like wither, fall, perish, and fade away to describe the one who lacks humility. This kind of person will “fade away in the midst of his pursuits” just like the rich man who sought to attain eternal life by his own virtue (Ja. 1:11).
The currency of the kingdom is not found in wealth or prestige. Humility is the currency of the kingdom. Humility endures. Humility produces steadfastness. Humility will receive the crown of life.
Trials have the power to shift our focus from the temporary to the eternal. Our true treasure is not in worldly riches but in the boundless riches of Christ. Embrace your trials, seeing them as God’s way of refining our faith and preparing us for future glory. Ultimately, what endures is not our earthly status or wealth, but our humble reliance on the One who holds all things.