And the rich, in his being low: because as the flower of the grass shall he pass away.
ο δε πλουσιος εν τη ταπεινωσει αυτου οτι ως ανθος χορτου παρελευσεται
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Truth bears witness: whoever exalts himself will be humbled; see Lk 14:11. The flower of this flower is the trial of death and old age. He spoke only briefly about the humbled brother, because that was enough. Twice he pointed to the greatness of the one humbled by God. Yet the rich man is condemned at length, so that he may not serve as an example.
From the preceding verse, the words "let him glory" are understood. It is clear that what is said is mockery, which the Greeks call irony. Let the rich man remember, says the Apostle, the end deserved by the glory in which he boasts of his wealth. By that glory he humiliates and even oppresses the poor. When he is humbled, he will perish forever with that rich man who clothed himself in purple and despised the beggar Lazarus. "For he will pass away like the flower of the grass." The flower of the grass delights by both its fragrance and its appearance. Yet it very quickly loses its beauty and attractiveness. Therefore it is very aptly compared to the flower of the present prosperity of the ungodly, which can in no way be lasting.
By the rich man the Apostle means the arrogant man, calling him humbled because, in exalting himself, he is cast down.
The brother of God likens wealth to a flower of the field, in order to show its instability and brief duration.
He calls the outward appearance of grass and flowers their “face,” to strengthen the impression. The Lord also used the expression “the face of heaven and earth” (Lk 12:56).
Strictly speaking, “face” is said of a human face, not of animals or other creatures. Among four-footed animals it is called a muzzle or snout, and among birds a beak, according to Oecumenius.
Thus, he says, the rich man will wither like the flower of the field in his way and in the works he does in this life.
Isaiah says the same of every man: “All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withered and the flower fell, but the word of our God abides forever” (Isa 40:6-8).
The chief Apostle Peter said the same, taking it from Isaiah (1 Pet 1:24-25). Sirach also says the same: “All flesh grows old like a garment. This is the covenant from of old: you shall surely die.
Like leaves flourishing on a thick tree, some fall and others grow. So also is the generation of flesh and blood: one dies, and another is born” (Sir 14:18-19).
Some teachers, interpreting David’s striking words, “As for man, his days are like grass; as the flower of the field, so he blossoms” (Ps 102:15), say that the prophet did not say a garden flower, but a field flower.
He did this to show precisely the brief duration of human life. Garden flowers are protected by gardeners and for a long time suffer no harm.
Field flowers, on the contrary, are preserved by no one. They are trampled by animals, plucked by men, damaged by birds, and through other circumstances become short-lived.
The rich man withers like a flower in his works. A sudden change can always follow in this life. Yesterday he was rich and accompanied by success, and today he suddenly becomes unfortunate and poor, according to Oecumenius.
According to Mitrophan, “When the rich man imagines that he prospers exceedingly and surpasses others in glory, and is adorned on every side with crowns of authority, at that very moment he withers.
Having ended his life, he lies dead, voiceless, motionless, without appearance, and moreover he stinks unpleasantly and unbearably.”
By “rich” here the brother of God means the proud man who boasts in his wealth. Thus in his pride he will be humbled, and in his exaltation he will fall.
It would have been fitting to say, “let the rich man be put to shame in his humiliation.” But because this word would have been harsh, he leaves it aside and speaks less harshly, according to Oecumenius.
According to Saint Mitrophan, let the rich man boast in the natural humility that he has. That is, he is an earthly man, and he must die, decay, become dust, and become food for worms.
If he is puffed up by his wealth, let him be humbled by the remembrance of death. Such humility will become his glory and praise.
But the wisdom from God says not this, but quite the opposite: let the humiliated brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich man in his humiliation, for wealth is vanity.
The concept of boasting is taken here in the sense of a joyful feeling that exalts the Christian’s consciousness, yet remains humble. It is the feeling of God’s good pleasure toward man for fulfilling God’s will or decree as far as he can (cf. Rom 5:3; 2 Cor 11:30; Gal 6:14 and parallels).
This is boasting in the Lord, or of the Lord. The highly developed moral feeling of the Christian especially boasts in sorrows, regarding them as an act of God’s good pleasure and mercy (Rom 5:3 and parallels).
The concept of the humiliated, properly the humble, is taken in the sense of a needy and poor man deprived of the goods of outward life. The rich man, who possesses these goods abundantly, is set opposite him.
Wisdom from God teaches the Christian that if he is poor and humiliated in this poverty, yet bears this poverty and humiliation as a Christian should, according to the law of Christ, with joy (v. 1) and thanksgiving to God for sending this temptation, then he is not humiliated but exalted.
He may boast in the Lord of this exaltation as God’s mercy toward him.
Conversely, if the rich man can boast, then certainly not in his wealth, but likewise in his poverty or humiliation, if he can acquire this poverty or humiliation.
According to the Christian law, the highest degree of perfection for a rich man is to sell his possessions and give to the poor (Mt 19:21; cf. note).
If he is unable to do this, then at least he is obliged to use his wealth as he should and to look at it rightly. He must acquire poverty of spirit.
Only in this can he boast in the Lord, if he can boast at all, and certainly not in his wealth.
For what is a rich man if he lacks this correct Christian view of wealth, lacks its right use, and lacks this poverty of spirit?
The Apostle expressively and vividly compares him with the flower of grass because of his swift passing, and therefore because of his nothingness (cf. Theophylact).
This is especially clear in the hot and scorching countries of the East, such as Palestine, where the sun’s heat quickly dries up the grass of the field.
How can a rich man glory in humility? According to the thought of the holy Apostle James, this is possible when a Christian endowed with wealth by the Lord does not boast of it. On the contrary, he vividly recognizes its corruption and instability, like the flower on a blade of grass. He never forgets that man's true height consists in the independence of his heart and soul from material goods. It consists also in virtue, which by its very nature is humble and meek.
Returning to his main thought, the Apostle again exhorts us to endure temptations. He counsels the humiliated poor not to despond because of the temptations that befall them.
Behind their visible humiliation there follows their invisible moral height and the crown of heavenly glory.
The same counsel is also given to the rich, because they can be even more often subjected to humiliation through the swift corruption and destruction of wealth (cf. Mt 6:19).
The Apostle James counsels us to give praise to the height of humility and the wealth of poverty. The Apostle Paul gives a vow to boast in his infirmities, because he sees in this the pledge of God’s power, made perfect in weaknesses (see 2 Cor 12:9).
The Apostle James sees an even greater fruit from enduring humiliation, namely, the crown of eternal life promised by the Savior.
The Apostle Paul also awaited this crown of righteousness for himself, as the reward for labors and sorrows (see 2 Tim 4:8).
This crown will also be the possession of all who endure every temptation and remain faithful to the Lord until death.
Therefore, Christian, be faithful unto death, and the Lord will give you the crown of life (Rev 2:10)!
“Let the humble brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass he passes away. For the sun rose with scorching heat and dried up the grass. Its flower fell, and the beauty of its appearance perished. So also the rich man withers in his ways.”
Christian wisdom, which must be asked of God with faith in His power and goodness, is needed by every Christian, every brother. It is needed both by one humbled in outward position, such as one living in poverty, and by one who has attained high position through wealth.
To the first, Christian wisdom suggests that he should not regard his lowly position as a misfortune. On the contrary, he should boast in it as a high position.
He should console himself with the thought that the Lord Jesus called into His kingdom the lowly of this world (1 Cor 1:28). By His own example He sanctified poverty and homelessness (Mt 8:20).
But if it belongs to the poor man to boast in his exaltation, Christian wisdom requires the rich man to boast in humiliation. Let him see this humiliation in death, from which wealth saves no one.
The life of every man, and therefore of the rich man, is as fleeting as the life of grass and of the flower on the grass.
The greenery of grass and the beauty of the flower on it delight us. But from the heat of the sun, the grass dries up and its flower, which forms its beauty, perishes.
The thought of life’s brevity should humble the rich man, reminding him that death makes him equal to the last beggar.
This reminder is bitter, but saving. It not only guards him against pride in wealth, but can also restrain him from wavering in fidelity to Christ if persecution for the faith occurs.
Even if he must die for the faith, he has nothing to fear from death. In any case, he cannot escape death. Wealth saves no one from it, and therefore it is not worth clinging to.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 12 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS