In the early 1900’s, humorist Finley Peter Dunne said that “The newspaper does everything for us. It runs the police force and the banks, commands the militia, controls the legislature, baptizes the young, marries the foolish, comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable, buries the dead, and roasts them afterward.” Many of us have heard that expression “comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.” Some might assume it came from scripture, and might be disappointed to discover it came from the lips of 1900’s era comedian!
Although the words “comforting the afflicted” and “afflicting the comfortable” are not found in scripture, that IS in fact the very thing the word of God does. It’s true for today’s passage, James 1:9-11. Here God gives us truths which should comfort the poorest and most afflicted of us; and humble the most lofty among us.
He begins this section with the word, “But,” making a transition from our passage last week in :6-8, about how the one who doesn’t have a total commitment to the Lord will be unstable in ALL his ways. He says, “BUT” – you who are really committed to the Lord, whether men consider your position in life to be high or low – you need to make sure you see yourself the way that GOD sees you. When you do, it will indeed “comfort the afflicted” and “afflict the comfortable.”
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