Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
We love James 1:9 and hate James 1:10. What two-faced people we are! In verse nine, James says, "Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation" (ESV). We love that, especially when we are the lowly brother and God elevates us in some way. We even like to see those who are lowly in comparison to us receive promotion from the Lord.
Then again, we become a little more hesitant about it all if the lowly person is about as unimportant as we are, then is suddenly better off than we are. We'd rather we had that promotion, that honor, or that windfall. But all things considered, we like verse nine.
We aren't as excited about verse ten, especially when it happens to us. Here the rich brother is to boast in his humiliation. We may well prefer that other people, who are richer or more important than we are, should be humbled. But us? We would rather that never happened.
In the end, all who trust in Christ receive untold riches, as we are made heirs of God's eternal kingdom. There's nothing we can have on this earth that will compare with that. Rich or poor, it is all alike. We look forward to our eternal reward.
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