The Epistle of James is very tough on the rich as we hear in today’s first reading: “Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away…” James seems to be echoing the teaching of Jesus: “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation” (Luke 6:24). James and Jesus are not condemning possessions and wealth per se. The real issue is what does one do with one’s possessions. Do we use our possessions and gifts for the “common good” or do we selfishly store our gifts and hoard our possessions? Jesus and James condemn the latter.
The rich that James criticizes in today’s reading are those who pay unjust wages or even withhold the wages of workers while amassing great fortunes for themselves:
“Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.” (James 5:4).
The Lord hears the cry of the poor and God will hear the voices of the poor who are unjustly treated and maligned as lazy and cursed:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh.” (Luke 6:20-21)
James and Jesus, following a long Jewish tradition, challenge the rich to share their wealth: “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.” (Mark 9:41). A modern, even secular, example of this exhortation, is the so-called “Giving Pledge.” This pledge is a “a promise by the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to dedicate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes.”
Jesus commands us to love our neighbor. The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) teaches that our neighbor is anyone in need, even an outsider or enemy. What does it mean to be religious or people of faith? James tells us: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (James 1:27).