Christians and Wealth

September 7th, 2026
by Lance Waldie

James 5:1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.

Though the term “rich” (Gr. plousios) is a relative term, generally speaking it pertains to having an abundance of earthly possessions that exceeds actual needs. So, we are rich if we have more than we need. Of course the Bible never condemns riches, for being rich is not a sin. All things are given by God—from inheriting wealth to having the ability to work hard for wealth. Therefore, the sin that James has in mind is not wealth but the misuse of it—from hoarding one’s wealth (vv. 2-3) to defrauding employees (v. 4) to reveling in self-indulgence (v. 5) to using one’s power from riches to condemn the righteous (v. 6). Apparently, the rich James had in mind were within the church, identifying with Christians, in an effort to obtain the benefits of Christianity and of God’s provisions without actually submitting themselves to Christ’s lordship. James therefore writes not only to warn believers against coveting the benefits of riches but also to show them how dire their judgment before God will be for their misuse of riches.

James’ address in 5:1—“Come now!” is the same as in 4:13, though in 4:13 James addressed the arrogant who presumptuously made plans without acknowledging God’s sovereignty. Here in 5:1 James sternly addresses another sinful faction in the Christian Church. Though James could be talking about the practices of the rich who are outside the Church, more likely he is addressing the ones inside it. Telling them to “weep” (Gr. klaiō) and “howl” (Gr. ololuzō), or “wail bitterly” and “cry loudly,” James is not advising the rich to have a pity party; he is calling them to open their eyes to their true spiritual condition—the most dire condition with which a person can find himself. Weep and howl are used frequently by the prophets to portray the response of the wicked when the day of the Lord is at hand, for “wail” is always used in the context of judgment. Perhaps we should imagine the horrific screams of those who, on the day of their judgment, will be howling at the tops of their lungs with tears of remorse, trying to convince the Lord Jesus that they love Him. Yet their lives on earth were spent ignoring Him.

Calling the rich to “weep and howl,” James exposes the lives of the rich for either snubbing or ignoring Christ. Their future is full of “miseries” (Gr. talaipōria)—distress and hardship. Now James had no prophetic vision of these rich people losing their wealth and having to suffer temporally for such; rather, he knew that God’s coming judgment on them for their misuse of wealth, and ultimately their rejection of the true Christ, was going to be miserable. Notice the plural use of “miseries,” for those miseries will be never-ending in the fires of hell.

Concern for the poor and oppression of the poor are two key indicators of whether one’s faith in Christ is genuine (cf. 1:26-27). God has always exhibited a concern for the poor, requiring that His love be seen through His people in their concern for the poor (Deut. 15:11; cf. Ex. 22:25; Lev. 25:35), even making provisions in the Mosaic Law that required farmers to leave some of their harvest behind for the poor (Lev. 19:9-10; 23:22; Deut. 24:19). Sadly, Israel’s history is littered with flagrant disobedience to these laws (cf. Amos 4:1ff.). As a result, the term “rich” was often used synonymously with “unrighteous” (Prov. 10:15-16).

Food For Thought
How sad that those today who enjoy great riches without faith in Christ have only this life to enjoy. Their temporary happiness today will be replaced with weeping in eternity (Luke 6:24-25; cf. Rev 18:10-24). How hard it is for the rich to enter heaven (Matt. 19:23)! For riches give the false notion that God is unneeded. Yet Jesus calls us to at least be willing to give it all up for Him (Matt. 16:24). So, let us evaluate our excesses—from time to money, and let us determine what we withhold from God and others. Should we weep and howl or sing and praise?