There are some who believe the saying, “The one who dies with the most toys wins.” James says, “Ha! You loose. Everything that you did stands against you, condemning you, telling everyone that you are a looser!” It can be a shock to those who chase after riches to be slapped across the face like that. No one likes to be told their life is empty but that is exactly what the selfish have, nothing.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 says “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.” I heard a sermon where the word we see in the NIV as meaningless and in the KJV as vanity could easily be translated “soap bubbles.” Soap bubbles appear to have beauty, structure and even permanence but barely touch them and pop! they are gone. That is the way it is for those who chase after riches. Their purpose in life eventually goes pop! and is gone.
What surprises me about this passage in James is that he is writing to Christians. We see in Acts that the early church in Jerusalem, where James was lead pastor, had a bunch of generous people who sold their land or houses and “put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.” (Acts 4:34-35) But we also see in that same context that there were greedy Christians. (Acts 5:1-11). Of course, note the results of their greed, a very short life. That story brought rise to the joke, “Pass the offering plate and call the funeral director.” James witnessed the result of the greedy rich’s actions. Pop!
Scripture is clear, Godly purpose is selfless with Jesus as our primary example (see Philippians 2). It starts with our life purpose of loving and serving God which results in a life purpose of loving and serving “our neighbor” (yes, see Luke 10:25-37). James did have good rich people in his church like Joseph “who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement).” (Acts 4:36) Barnabas not only helped out financially but provided encouragement and support to a Christian who was feared by the rest of the church, a scary young man named Saul. That young man became the apostle Paul. To say the least, Barnabas’ life was solid and significant, not a soap bubble. We can have the same impact, we just have to have the same God driven purpose to be selfless and loving.
then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. -Philippians 2:2-4 NIV
