Treasure Christ Instead
(written July 1st by Bryan Roe)
“You have laid up treasure in the last days."
-James 5:3
Living in the last days
Throughout the past two-thousand years, there have been seasons of great persecution and affliction that have caused faithful Christians to believe Jesus must be coming soon. Perhaps you've heard someone say, "We must be living in the last days!" or "The end is near!" On the one hand, they should absolutely believe this - for even our passage today, written almost 2000 years ago, tells us that we are living in the “last days.” But we should also remember, that in light of eternity, our lives are but a vapor. What might seem like a long wait to us is not to God. God could come back tomorrow, or He could wait another 2000 years. One thing is certain, He will come in His own timing, and we need to ready ourselves for the final day when our Savior returns.
So how do we ready ourselves? By turning from finding our treasure in this world, and instead finding our treasure in Jesus. Our passage today anticipates the coming of Jesus, while confronting those who live for themselves in these last days. In fact, this passage is full of very strong language warning the wealthy. It confronts us with who our treasure really is. In doing so, it gives us three indicators that Jesus is not our treasure in these last days:
We live for today
We take advantage of others
We neglect others
Read James 5:1-6.
We live for today
One of our greatest temptations is to believe that all we see and experience before we die is all there is. We are told to “Seize the day!” When we give into this temptation, we live as though happiness and the meaning of life is found in how many friends, experiences, accolades and money we can accumulate. At the time the book of James was written, there were wealthy landowners who controlled much of Galilee, as well as much of the Roman Empire. They acquired temporary wealth and land while failing to seek first God’s eternal kingdom.
We can acquire many things in this life, but we will be taking none of them with us once we pass. The things we do have in this life are not meant to bring us satisfaction. This is why we read King Solomon, the wealthiest and the wisest king, say in Ecclesiastes 2:9-11, “So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” Whatever you are seeking pleasure in besides God, it will not last. Though it promises so much, it will not, and cannot, deliver.
We take advantage of others
Another way we don't treasure Jesus is by taking advantage of others. This is what the landowners in James’ time did. They were known to defraud their workers. They did not pay them the wage they deserved. Have you ever demanded or manipulated someone to do something for you without offering something fair in return? Perhaps you have tricked a sibling or friend by making an unfair trade to get something you wanted. When we do this, we are putting ourselves before others and intentionally benefiting at their expense.
We neglect others
If we love God, we ought to love what God loves. If Jesus is our treasure, we ought to value what He values. Not only can we actively sin against others through taking advantage of them, we can also passively do so by neglecting them in their need. James is calling out the wealthy unbelievers for how they are hoarding their wealth while others are in need. Now, being rich is not a sin, but if you are hoarding it and treasuring it above Jesus, especially while neglecting others, it is an idol. As Christians, we need to be sacrificial like Jesus was sacrificial. We need to put others before ourselves. This means we need to be willing to part with our resources at times to benefit others in need. Our lives should be marked with humility and sacrifice. Remember what Paul writes in Philippians 2:4-8, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Treasure Christ instead
As we saw last week, our lives are but a mist. Oftentimes when we know we are going have something taken from us we cling onto it even stronger. Imagine a child holding onto their favorite toy knowing that their parents are getting ready to tell them to put it up for bedtime. Without an eternal mindset, we can cling to our earthly treasures tight, knowing our lives will end one day. What are you clinging to? Friends? Popularity? Likes on Instagram? One day all of this will pass away.
According to the Gospel we are told that the greatest treasure of all can be received and experienced for all eternity. All we must do is believe in Jesus and what He has done to save sinners. There is forgiveness and redemption available to those who turn from their sin and turn to Jesus. There is no one who loves us more or who can satisfy us like Him. There is no one as wise, kind, gracious and forgiving than Him. So while pursuing joy in Christ, let’s turn from the sins of materialism, covetousness and neglect of the poor and needy. If we find treasure in the things of this world, like our wealth, our future is grim. Instead, let’s prepare for the day when Jesus returns by trusting in Him, seeking to live our lives for His glory and helping others to do the same.