James 5:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He says to them: Do not be scandalized, my Christian brothers, and do not grieve because the rich have power over you and bring you to judgment. For a little while yet, and they themselves will receive fitting judgment from the Master Christ when He comes in His Second Coming.

He also presents here the example of the farmer. When the farmer sows seed in the earth, he does not immediately seek the fruit, but waits and is patient until God sends rain upon his field.

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

In the same way, he says, it is fitting for you Christians to remain in patience and to be long-suffering until the Lord's Second Coming arrives. Then you will receive the rich reward of your patience.

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

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

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

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

This Farmer also has in His hand the winnowing shovel, 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 consign to the unquenchable fire of torments.

As was said, the Lord, the Farmer of your hearts, does not require you to reap the fruits of the virtues immediately. He waits for the time of harvest.

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

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

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 and not to condemn 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 mistreat and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven" (Mt 5:44-45). Keep, he says, these commandments of the Lord.

Do not merely refrain from taking revenge on those who have caused you harm, loss, or any grief whatever. Do not even groan against them when you remember them, see them, or hear about them, lest you be judged as avengers.

For even a small groan that comes out of your hearts against them is a sign of hatred. I say that it is counted as revenge before God, who tests the disposition of your heart.

Therefore take care not to be condemned as avengers and as those who remember wrongs. If you have no enmity and hatred in your heart, then certainly you will have no groans against those who bring you grief and wrongs.

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

Consider that through the injustice or grief brought upon you, you are to receive forgiveness of sins and 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."

By this saying divine James comforts the fainthearted and teaches them to be patient and to have courageous hearts in temptations. For the Judge, that is, the Lord, is about to come soon to crown them and give them rest.

Here he also indicates death in a hidden manner, for it often comes suddenly and beyond expectation. The parable of the ten virgins shows this, when it was said to them: "Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him" (Mt 25:6).

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

We note that, according to Theophylact and Oecumenius, patience differs from long-suffering. As some Fathers say, a man shows long-suffering toward his fellow Christians of the same faith. A man shows patience toward outsiders and unbelievers.

It is called long-suffering when the one who suffers long is able to repay, but does not repay, and instead endures long. A man shows patience when he cannot repay, but only endures.

Therefore it is never said of patience that it is exercised according to God, but this is always said of long-suffering. It is also said of God that He is long-suffering, while patience is applied more to men.

What is said about the coming of the Lord refers to the invasion of the Romans against Jerusalem and to its captivity. Saint Chrysostom likewise interprets what the Lord said to Peter about John: "If I will that he remain until I come." This "I come" means the destruction of Jerusalem.

According to the same golden-tongued Father, the coming is also called God's invasion, His anger, and His wrath.

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

He says that it is much easier for a man not to groan against one who has offended him or caused him harm than to restrain himself from revenge. Not taking revenge is more difficult than not groaning.

If you, Christian, for the sake of God's commandment do not wish to take revenge on your enemy, repaying harm for harm and injustice for injustice which he caused you, why then do you groan against him?

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

The latter is far easier than the former. If you cut off being filled with anger or repaying the one who harmed you, and many other great things like these, and you pray courageously until the temptation passes, then you have strength to tame such passions.

How then do you cling to groaning, a thing worthless to you and bringing no gain?

By the Judge, the Lord is clearly meant, whose coming is near. The nearness of His coming should be a consolation for Christians.

Yet the nearness of His coming as Judge should be a warning against mutual condemnation, or grumbling, against one another.

“He stands at the doors,” in the sense of readiness to enter or the nearness of the coming. See Mt 24:33; Mk 13:29.

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.