The Letter of James - 5:7-9

7 Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door! 10 For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.

Be Patient

James is transitioning from his warning to the rich, 5:1-6, about their misuse of wealth and power. He called them out for storing up good for themselves and not doing what they ought to do, sin of neglect.

James turns his attention to the recipients of this misused wealth and power.

James 5:7 NLT

Dear believers, brothers and sisters. Be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return.

You’re experiencing all of these trials and tribulations here on earth. Be patient, endure just a little longer.

All of this, all of these trials, pain, and suffering, if you use it for good, it will bring about spiritual maturity in you. Don’t give in to temptation, control your tongue. Be patient, the Lord is returning soon.

James is encouraging an attitude of patience.

Next, James calls his readers to consider the farmers.

James 5:7 NLT

Expect Growth

One thing is evident about farmers all across the earth. They all expect growth.

Consider the farmers who patiently wait, the look for the valuable harvest.

Farmers expect growth.

Think about it.

If a farmer didn’t expect growth, why would they get up early in the morning, before anyone else in the house to work on the farm? All of the hard, long days in the sun. Prepping the soil, sowing the seed. Taking care of all of the animals.

The only reason is an expectation for growth. They expect to see growth.

How faithful would a farmer be if he didn’t expect to see a crop sprout from the ground and produce a harvest?

But, there’s more to the farmer then just expecting growth, they must be patient.

James 5:7–8 NLT

Can you imagine a patient-less farmer?

I this of the school kid that learns about planting seeds for the first time. They spend all class learning about the process and then they get to plant a seed themselves.

The teacher gives the children a little plastic cup full of potting soil with a popsicle stick sticking out, inscribed with the word tomato.

The children are given a seed and instructed to push is lightly beneath the soil and lightly cover it. Add some water and place it in the window seal and with for it to grow.

I remember this when I was in school. This was around the time the chia pet commercials were playing every commercial break. You remember. Cha-cha-cha Chia

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I never got one but was fascinated the first couple time the commercial played. I remember that and the clap on, clap off commercial playing non stop.

I never got a chia pet, but when we learned about how seeds grow in school, I was excited.

The seed goes in the the soil, the water pours on top, set it in the sun and watch it grow.

Watch it grow!

WATCH IT GROW!!!

It didn’t grow. I got a bad seed. My seed was broken.

I was disappointed. I thought it would grow fast like the Chia Pet.

A farmer who expects growth but lacks patience is like a child that got duped by the Chia Pet commercial.

You work hard, prepare the soil, plant the seed and wait. Waiting it the hard part.

This is why James is encouraging an attitude of patience. It the most difficult part of the process.

James 5:7–8 NLT

James 5:9 NLT

9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!

Don’t Grumble

James returns to his prominent thought throughout this letter, speech. But what’s so bad about grumbling?

I’m not sure, but I know God doesn’t like it.

Grumbling is equivalent to complaining. Which, James seams to relate with judging.

James 4:11–12 NLT

11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

James 5:9 NLT

9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!

You grumble and complain, you will be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the the door!

It almost seems as if James is reminding his readers that “dad will be home soon.”

You remember when you were a kid. Your parents leave the house for a few hours and give you a list of chores to be done before they get home. How many kids finish the chores before they do anything else?

Not many. No matter how long their parents are away, kids typically wait until the last minute to get the house in order.

You’ve seen the movies where the parents go out of town, the kids have some kind of party/trash the house, and the parents are on their way home. It’s a mad rush to clean up the mess, do the chores, make the house look as if nothing happened, the kids were little angels while the parents were away.

Is that how we act sometimes?

Christians? The Church?

We’ve got time. Dad is still on vacation. We’ll get our act together just before he gets home. “But dad just pulled up in the driveway.”

My sister. I wasn’t the best kid growing up. My sister and I were always fighting. When I was little, I always wanted to hangout with her and her friends. Older sisters hate younger brothers interfering with their social life. So, I would pester her relentlessly. She knew that I would get in trouble if she told my dad. So she started the infamous, “I’m going to tell dad.” That worked, the first time or two. My response turned to, “So, I don’t care.”

My sister changed her tacit.

“Dad’s home”

Bam, I was a different person. I’d hear someone at the front door. I’m on my best behavior. When we know we’re being watched, we tend to act differently.

I remember getting in trouble, my mom yelling at me, the phone would ring. I expected the same mom that was yelling at me to answer the phone. Nope. Some how my mom morphed into a nice little old lady from the time she touched the phone to the time it reached her ear. “Hello.”

What? What just happened here?

I think this attitude might be what James is getting at.

Remember in chapter 3.

James 3:7–10 NLT

7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!

James 5:9 NLT

9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!

This chapter started out as a warning to the rich who misuse their wealth and power. Reminding them that their ill-gained treasure will testify against them on the day of Judgement because they have not helped the innocent do to their selfish-desire for personal luxury.

Now, James is speaking to the recipients of this misused wealth and power. Reminding them not to take out the frustration of oppression on each other. Don’t grumble and complain about each other. Be patient with your fellow community members. You’re in this together.

Be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. It’s going to be worth it. So don’t get caught up in these trials as the word does, complaining and backbiting one another. Fulfill the royal law, treat one another as more important than yourselves. Remember, “Dad’s home” and he’s about to come through the door.