1. Would you like to be rich? Why? What would you do with 1 million dollars?
2. When does someone have enough (riches)? {“Just a little more…” – Never enough} Is there a place where you can have too much?
3. Name some situations when silver and gold (money) are worthless. (You are in a desert and you are carrying a sack full of diamonds, but have no water.)
*During the time when James is writing this epistle the rich were the wealthy landowners as v. 4 reveals. The rich of that time were those who owned and continued to buy land and who exploited the people they forced to work their land. There was no middle class then only rich and poor. The term “rich” can occasionally be used as synonym for “the unrighteous”.[1]
4. Verse 3 in James 5 is very intriguing:
a) (NIV – Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire.)
b) (NLT – Your gold and silver have become worthless. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment.)
c) (The Message – Your greedy luxuries are a cancer in your gut, destroying your life from within. You thought you were piling up wealth. What you’ve piled up is judgment.)
5. Why would James characterize wealth/luxuries as cancer?
Someday some of you may be business people. Others of you may be CEOs or managers. You may be a boss someday. LISTEN… Do not be greedy, do not cheat, and do not be dishonest. (v. 4)
Greed will catch up with the greedy and some of the greedy will be punished here, others will be punished here and also after they die.
6. “Riches are a threat to genuine discipleship”. AGREE OR DISAGREE? What are your comments? (Luke 6:24-25; Revelation 18:10-24)
[1] Moo J. Douglas, The Letter of James, p. 210-211
