Having explored our call to count trials of various kinds as joy in James 1:1-4, and the promise that God gives wisdom to all who ask in James 1:5-8, we now move to the next proverbial teaching about wealth and status within the church.
James 1:9-10
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.
James 1:9-10
The first observation to make is the decoupling of wealth and salvation. While the lowly or materially poor brother can boast in his exhalation, the rich brother boasts in his humility before God. Both are called brothers, both are therefore considered equal before God in regard to their status of salvation. The kingdom is for all, not just the lowly and not just the rich.
It's worth observing that while the world may exhalt the rich and powerful, the church exhalts the poor and vulnerable. We must be careful that the church does not exclude those with wealth on account of their riches, but remains a place that all may carry their cross and kneel before the Lord.
A second observation is the word and nature of their boasting. At first reading, this sentence feels at odds with Paul's statement that 'none may boast in the presence of God' (1 Corinthians 1:29), but so would Paul's point that 'the one who boasts should boast in the Lord' (1 Corinthians 1:31). We can therefore understand James to mean that they boast in their exhaltation 'by God' and their humility 'before God'.
James follows up with an illustration comparing a rich man and a flower that fades. However, it's important to note that he subtly switches to illustrating a rich man that does not boast in their humiliation. The rich brother that boasts in God is not like a flower in the field that passes away, he experiences the same blessing as all who believe.
James 1:11
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 1:11
This sentence starts with the word 'For', indicating that it is qualifying and explaining the statement beforehand. On the day of judgement, the rich and vain man will stand before God and face his scorching judgement and found to be no longer beautiful. He will wither and fade.
A brother in Christ is under no such judgement, their price is paid in full by Christ. Though they be humble before God, their new bodies will become more glorious and beautiful as they are made new. It therefore becomes clear that James here is referring to those that are rich and unrepentant, that lack humility before God.
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