Boasting in Exaltation and Humiliation

James 1:9-11
January 24, 2021
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

As we wait for Jesus and his eternal kingdom, we meet trials of various kinds. Our faith is tested. And wisdom from our God is needed. This is what we are going through right now. This is the pilgrim life.

And one of the most difficult things about being a pilgrim, a citizen of heaven, here in this old and fading world, is the way that we handle all the trials that come with poverty and wealth. Poverty when we are poor. Wealth when we are rich.

In today’s passage, our Lord addresses both the poor person and the rich person who are both members of his church. He gives us his gospel for us to believe. And he gives us his law for us to obey.

First, let us consider the poor person.

The poor church member is to boast in his or her exaltation. To boast is to rejoice. And so the poor brother or sister in Christ is to be joyful and thankful and praising Jesus. Why? Because they will be exalted. Because their earthly possessions and their earthly status will not carry over to the coming kingdom of the new heavens and new earth. Because their ultimate treasure is Jesus himself. It is an exaltation for the poor because what they will have soon is a significant upgrade from what they have now. Money and possessions are rubbish compared to the forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The poor brother or sister in Christ will be exalted. And they are to boast in this.

Second, let us consider the rich person.

The rich church member is to boast in his or her humiliation. To boast is to rejoice. And so the rich brother or sister in Christ is to joyful and thankful and praising Jesus. Why? Because they will be humbled. Because their earthly possessions and their earthly status will not carry over to the coming kingdom of the new heavens and new earth. Because their ultimate treasure is Jesus himself. It is a humiliation for the rich because what they have now is a significant downgrade from what they will have soon. Money and possessions are rubbish compared to the forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The rich brother or sister in Christ will be humbled (#zacchaeus). And they are to boast in this.

The Apostle Paul learned how to do both. And you should too. Paul says these words in Philippians 4:11-12. “…. I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” Paul boasted in both his exaltation and his humiliation. Let us also learn both.

But as we do so, we are to take everything more seriously. Dear Highland, whether you are poor or rich, take this to heart. James focuses on the rich person in verses 10 and 11. And this is what he says. The rich person will pass away and fade away. The rich person will pass away like a flower of the grass that withers and falls and perishes. The rich person will fade away in the midst of his or her pursuits.

Highland, take this wake up call, this warning, this sobering truth, to heart. We will die. Our time here on this old and fading earth will be short. The pursuit to be rich is pointless… for both the poor person and the rich person. This sounds like foolishness, but this is actually wisdom.

In the words of the teacher in the book of Ecclesiastes, there is nothing to be gained under the sun when it comes to riches and possessions and wealth. It is all vanity. It is all meaningless. As we come from our mother’s womb we shall go again, naked. We shall take nothing from our toil.

There is parable in Luke 12 that goes like this. “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’”

I am willing to bet that when you are living in the kingdom of God in the new heavens and new earth, when you have your eternal resurrection bodies, when you see Jesus face to face, you will laugh and shake your head at yourself over all of your earthly pursuits in this world. The rich person will pass away and fade away. The rich person will pass away like a flower of the grass that withers and falls and perishes. The rich person will fade away in the midst of his or her pursuits. Take this to heart.

So if you are a poor person and you are sitting in your car at a stoplight and a rich person in a nice car pulls up next to you, remember to be joyful and thankful and praise Jesus. Think to yourself, “I have the kingdom of God. I have greater treasures than all of the richest people in the world combined. I have my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Boast in your exaltation. May God give you wisdom as you set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Boast in your exaltation. May you grow more and more satisfied and content with what you will have soon. Boast in your exaltation.

And if you are a rich person and you are enjoying a nice evening at your home and you feel good about your finances, remember to be joyful and thankful and praise Jesus. Think to yourself, “This home that I have and this money that I earned will eventually be gone. I can’t wait to go to my ultimate home. I can’t wait to see my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Boast in your humiliation. May God give you wisdom as you set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Boast in your humiliation. May you grow more and more dissatisfied and discontent with what you have right now. Boast in your humiliation.

At the end of the day, both the poor church member and the rich church member should have similar looking boasts. The reason why is this. All of us who believe in Jesus are to boast in him. This is what unites us as one church. We boast in Jesus. We rejoice in Jesus. Listen to these words from Jeremiah 9:23-24. “Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me….’”

Highland, let us be joyful and thankful because of Jesus. Let us praise Jesus for who he is and what he has done for us. Our sins have been forgiven. We have the hope of resurrection life. God loves us and he has a relationship with us. May you boast in Christ, knowing that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Highland, let us realize that none of this is really about poverty or wealth. Do not focus on your poverty or your wealth. Focus on the bigger picture. Focus on the things that are ultimate. Focus on the world that is to come. We are pilgrims. Poverty or wealth here on this old and fading earth means little to us now. Instead, poverty or wealth here on this old and fading earth is just a part of the trials that we go through in order to see what means most to us now. Our poverty or our wealth is not as important as our exaltation and our humiliation.

Soli Deo Gloria