Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
The readers of James letter were being persecuted by the outside world; specially the rich. James has just warned the rich to not trust in their riches. Right on the heals of that warning, we have the instructions above. The early church (like we should today) believed that Christ’s return was eminent. They lived their lives in light of Christ coming back to establish His earthly Kingdom. This is the backdrop for the above text. James is telling them not to be idle in their waiting for Christ. They are to be actively engage in planting seeds that will produce fruit for Christ. James is not focused on the planting of seeds, however. James is focused on the patience waiting for the seeds to produce fruit. We are to be waiting patiently for Christ to return. We are to “establish” our hearts. The word means to be stable and/or set fast. We are not to be moved around in our faith. Our faith is not to be fluid, but fixed. We are waiting for Christ to return. And just as the seeds that the farmer plants will grow, so, too, our Lord will return. That is the counter balance to the rich who trust in their riches. The person of faith puts their trust in the return of the risen Savior.
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