James 5:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

That the coming of the Lord, both here and in John, means the destruction of Jerusalem is clear also from the words of the prophet: “Behold, He comes, says the Lord of Sabaoth. And who will endure the day of His coming?” (Mal 3:1-2).

This means when the coming of God brings punishment upon the impious.

John Chrysostom, in certain of his interpretations, when he examines the words “until I come,” also sees in them an indication of the destruction of Jerusalem. He confirms this by the prayer of the three youths.

They say: “So may our sacrifice be before You today, and may it be accomplished after You” (Dan 3:40). Concerning this he says: what does “after You” mean? After Your wrath has passed.

And when did it come? When Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem. This concerns the word “coming.”

Some of the Fathers also say that by long-suffering the Apostle here means forbearance toward one another, and by patience, forbearance toward those outside. A man is long-suffering toward one on whom he can also take vengeance.

From one on whom he cannot take vengeance, he suffers. Therefore the word “patience” is never used of God, but “long-suffering” is. Of men, “patience” is used.

“He waits patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.” By the early rain is signified tearful repentance in youth, and by the latter rain repentance in old age.

Everything depends on the love for mankind of God. Therefore he says, “until it receives.”

He waits for the early rain and the late rain. Then, when the harvest comes, he reaps with joy and receives the sheaves and the fruits.

In the same way, he says, you Christians must remain in patience and suffer long until the second coming of the Lord arrives. Then you will receive the rich reward of your patience.

The rich also, who did violence against you, will receive fitting judgment and punishment.

This saying may also be understood allegorically. By the farmer, the brother of God means the Lord, Who sows in the earth. That is, He sows in the hearts of Christians who have received the noetic seed of the gospel preaching.

He sends rain, which is the rain from above, that is, the grace of the Holy Spirit. This rain is born from the noetic clouds of the holy Scriptures, or from the holy Apostles.

The early rain is the grace of tears of repentance given in youth. The late rain is the grace given in old age.

This Farmer also has in His hand the winnowing fan, as John the Baptist said, that is, judgment. With it He will cleanse His threshing floor, that is, the whole world.

The wheat, that is, the righteous, He will gather into the granary of the kingdom on high. The chaff, that is, sinners, He will give over to the unquenchable fire of torments.

As has been said, the Lord, the Farmer of your hearts, does not demand from you that you immediately reap the fruits of the virtues. Rather, He waits for the time of harvest.

He waits so that you may be whitened and ripened by various temptations, and may become ready for the harvest, having been watered by the rains of grace from above.

Thus you also, my brethren, should establish your hearts by hope in the good things you are to enjoy. In this way endure the temptations that come upon you with longsuffering and courage.

Keep before your eyes, and await without wavering, the Lord Who will render to each according to his works. Having such hope, take care not to hate those who act unjustly toward you, nor to judge them.

Rather, love them and bless them, as the Lord commands: "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute and abuse you, that you may be sons of your Father Who is in heaven" (Mt 5:44-45).

Keep these commandments of the Lord, he says. Do not only refrain from taking vengeance on those who have caused you harm, loss, or any sorrow whatever.

Do not even sigh against them when you remember them, see them, or hear about them, lest you be condemned as avengers. For even a small sigh that comes from your hearts against them is a sign of hatred.

I say that such a sigh is reckoned before God as vengeance, for He tests the disposition of your heart. Therefore take heed, lest you be condemned as avengers and as those who remember wrongs.

If you have no enmity and hatred in your heart, then certainly you will not have sighs against those who bring you sorrows and offenses.

Therefore, my brethren, cleanse your heart of every enmity and hatred. Instead of sighing against those who act unjustly toward you, rather rejoice and be glad when you see or remember those who offended you.

Think that through the injustice or sorrow inflicted upon you, you will receive forgiveness of sins and a reward in the heavens.

Always remember the commandment God gives you, not to have hatred for your brother, even in the thought of your heart: "You shall not hate your brother in your mind" (Lev 19:17).

"Behold, the Judge stands before the doors." With this saying the divine James comforts the fainthearted. He teaches them to be patient and to have courageous hearts in temptations, because the Judge, that is, the Lord, will soon come to crown them and give them rest.

Here he also hints enigmatically at death, which often comes suddenly and beyond expectation. This is shown by the parable of the ten virgins, to whom it was said: "Behold, the bridegroom is coming. Go out to meet him" (Mt 25:6).

By this word he urges Christians to be ready, through patience, to stand watchful, not fallen and despondent from the bitterness of the sorrows surrounding them.

We note that, according to Theophylact and Oecumenius, patience differs from longsuffering. As some Fathers say, a man shows longsuffering toward Christians who share his faith.

A man shows patience toward outsiders who are unbelievers. Thus it is called longsuffering when the one who suffers long is able to repay, but does not repay and instead suffers long.

A man shows patience when he cannot repay, but only endures. Therefore patience is never said to be exercised by God, but this is always said of longsuffering.

It is also said of God that He suffers long. Patience, however, is more often ascribed to men.

What is said about the coming of the Lord refers to the invasion of the Romans against Jerusalem and its captivity. So Saint Chrysostom interprets the Lord’s words to Peter concerning John: "If I will that he remain until I come."

This "I come" signifies the destruction of Jerusalem. The coming is also called God’s visitation, His wrath and fury, according to the same golden-mouthed Father.

The wise Photius interprets this saying of the brother of the Lord, "Do not sigh against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned," in the Amphilochia.

He says that it is easier for a man not to sigh against one who has offended or harmed him than to restrain himself from vengeance. The latter, not taking vengeance, is more difficult than the former, not sighing.

If, Christian, for the sake of God’s commandment, you do not wish to take vengeance on your enemy, repaying harm for harm and injustice for injustice, why then do you sigh against him?

If, for the sake of brotherly love, you cut off the more difficult thing, vengeance against your enemy, why do you not cut off the easier thing for the sake of the same love? Why do you continue to sigh against your brother?

The latter is much easier than the former. If you cut off being filled with anger, or repaying the one who harmed you, and many other similar great things, and bravely pray until the temptation passes, then consider this.

If you have strength to tame such passions, why do you cling to sighing, a thing insignificant for you and bringing no gain?

“Having condemned the luxury of the rich and their cruelty toward the poor, the Apostle turns his speech to the faithful and says: brothers, do not be scandalized at seeing this, and do not grow despondent as though there will be no vengeance” (Theophylact).

The temporal limit of this long-suffering is the coming of the Lord. Endure until the coming of the Lord, or in expectation of the coming of the Lord.

By the coming of the Lord, according to the usual use of this expression in the books of the New Testament, is meant the second and glorious coming of Christ.

Then the universal Dread Judgment will follow, by which the Kingdom of grace will end and the Kingdom of glory will begin (see Mt 24:3). At this judgment every person will receive recompense for his deeds.

Therefore the rich who now oppress the poor will receive recompense, and so will the poor themselves (Mt 25:31 and following).

The exhortation to patience is strengthened by pointing to the farmer. Having placed seed in the ground, he waits long for the precious fruit from it.

He waits until the early and latter rain, that is, the spring and autumn rain (cf. Deut 10:14; Jer 5:24; Joel 2:23; Zech 10:1), fertilizes the seed and does not allow the field to dry from the heat.

Then it prepares the precious fruit for harvest. After such waiting and patience, the farmer receives the precious fruit.

So also the Christian must patiently await the fruit of all the labors of his life at the coming of Christ. Then the fruits of his good doing will appear.

Especially, according to the connection of the speech, the fruits of his suffering in life will appear, and these will consist in blessedness (cf. Jas 5:11).

They will receive the crown of righteousness, which will be given to all who await the appearing of the Lord.

It is worthy of note that, when denouncing the rich who oppressed the poor, the Apostle does not call them brothers. Yet when exhorting Christians to abide in patience, he calls them brothers.

From this it is clear that the oppressors of Christians were chiefly Jews. The historian Flavius testifies about them that they were so malicious that, if the Romans had not struck them, an abyss would have swallowed them or water would have drowned them.