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Main point summary

Let him who is poor and afflicted boast that God is his reward, alternatively, let the rich boast that God is his true treasure.

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NT

James 1:9-11

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Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,

Καυχάσθω δὲ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὁ ταπεινὸς ἐν τῷ ὕψει αὐτοῦ,

and r the rich [ let him boast ] in his humiliation,

ὁ δὲ πλούσιος ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει αὐτοῦ,

because s like a flower of the grass 1

ὅτι ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου

he will pass away .

παρελεύσεται.

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For the sun rises with its scorching heat

ἀνέτειλεν γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος σὺν τῷ καύσωνι

and t withers the grass;

καὶ ἐξήρανεν τὸν χόρτον

its flower falls ,

καὶ τὸ ἄνθος αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεσεν

and its beauty perishes .

καὶ ἡ εὐπρέπεια τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἀπώλετο•

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So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits .

οὕτως καὶ ὁ πλούσιος ἐν ταῖς πορείαις αὐτοῦ μαρανθήσεται.

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Devotional thoughts

The Gospel exalts the lowly and poor saint and humbles the noble and rich saint. How should a lowly Christian view his lowliness, his poor and afflicted state? Do not let your present afflicted and low estate erase from your mind the exaltation that awaits you, o loved and precious saint. Even if all you get down here is affliction, your exaltation much exceeds your present humiliation. Soon you will forget the bitter taste when God's sweetest face will you behold. So, boast in your exaltation, for it is absolutely certain, and endure your trials here below for this great promise is yours. How should a rich Christian view his riches, his present honor and glory? So contemplate the temporal aspect of your riches, honor and glory until you see those as humiliation in the light of the true riches, God bestowed honor and glory. Let the thought of your fleetingness detach your heart from those fleeting riches and make you treasure your eternal treasure which you and the poor share alike in God. To boast in your riches here would be to humiliate yourself, because your future treasure by far exceeds these things which perish along with this world. So boast that you have a far greater Treasure and that your humiliation in the world's eyes, when you die and take nothing with you, means your exaltation at the right hand of God. This estate that you're enjoying now is not your exaltation, do not confuse it for that and be proud, but rather humbly wait until you see your Treasure face to face. Consulted Commentaries: Alford, on Biblehub.com