Expectant Waiting

While my husband and I lived in Dubai, I had to have surgery. The care while in the hospital was excellent, but narcotic prescriptions are not allowed outside the hospital. I was sent home with Tylenol. The two incisions were in my abdomen. I never knew how much we use abdominal muscles until that surgery. The Tylenol didn’t help at all. I stayed in bed as much as I could to minimize movement. One time after I got up to use the bathroom, I tried to get back in bed, but the pain was terrible. I sat on the edge of the bed and cried. It felt like the suffering would never end. I didn’t focus on any purpose God had in my suffering nor the end God would bring about.

Of course, the pain from the surgery eventually lessened and went away. As I look back now, as painful as it was, it was still a relatively short amount of time to suffer. The questions we should ask are: how do we respond to suffering? Where is our hope in suffering?

As we continue in James 5, James turns again to the topic of suffering.

7 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. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.[1]

James 5:7-11

Let’s note a couple of things before diving in. First, James addresses this section to brothers. If you remember in verses 1-6, James was likely describing the unbelieving rich, so that his believing readers would learn from the wickedness of the unbelieving rich. Now, James returns to addressing believers.

Second, James writes, therefore. It is a transition that points us back to what he has just written in verses 1-6 – the wicked, rich oppressors who will face God’s judgment. Because God hears the cry of the oppressed and will punish the wicked, rich oppressors, James encourages his reads to be patient.

Patience is the theme of this paragraph. Without going into too much Greek, patience is expressed by two Greek words – the root makrothym (four times  in vs 7 twice, 8, 10) and the root hypomon (twice in vs 11). Makrothym typically indicates a long-suffering, loving attitude towards others. Hypomon is customarily used for a strong, determined attitude in facing challenging situations. However, in this paragraph, there isn’t a clear difference in meaning. “Nevertheless, makrothymia retains a more specific sense in verses 7–8, where it describes not fortitude in trials, but a patient, expectant waiting on the Lord.”[2]

James will give us three reasons for patient, expectant waiting (vs 7-9) and three examples of patient, expectant waiting (vs 10-11). I would also encourage you to read Psalm 37. David shares the same themes of God’s judgment on wicked oppressors and the command for God’s people to wait patiently for Him.. Here is a snippet.

1  Fret not yourself because of evildoers;

be not envious of wrongdoers!

   2      For they will soon fade like the grass

and wither like the green herb.

   5      Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him, and he will act.

   6      He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

and your justice as the noonday.

   7      Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices! [3]

Back to James. “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord” (vs 7a). Until signifies both a time and a goal. Be patient because something is coming. God is working. Be patient as you wait for what God will do. What is coming? The Lord is coming. This is commonly understood as Jesus’ return in judgment. This is the reason James’ readers could wait expectantly even if the rich oppressed them or they faced persecution for their faith. Jesus was coming back. This wasn’t just wishful thinking but a fact in which they could take hope and be encouraged.

James repeats this encouragement in verse 8: “Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” James highlights the nearness of the day. James didn’t claim to know the day Jesus would return, but he did want to convey the importance of living with the endgame in view. So, he instructs his readers to establish their hearts – be firm in their faith, be strengthened and stable, resist sin and temptation (vs 9; 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13). This phrase mirrors Jesus’ steely resolve that Luke pictures: “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem (emphasis added).

James illustrates expectant waiting as a farmer waiting for his crops to bear fruit. “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” (vs 7b). I read rains wasn’t in the early manuscripts, but there is agreement on James’ reference to the familiar early rains that came in October/November and softened the ground for planting, and the late rains which came in March/April and were needed before the spring harvest to bring the fruit to fullness.

A farmer plants but then waits expectantly for months for the fruit of his planting. A farmer waits even when he doesn’t see the seeds sprouting. He waits while still working – pulling weeds, fertilizing, and watering. He waits, understanding the seasons. He waits, depending on God for the growth that is beyond his power to produce. He waits, looking forward to the reward of the harvest. The farmer doesn’t get tired of waiting, lose hope, and rototill his ground a week or a month after planting. No, he waits expectantly. Likewise, we wait expectantly for Jesus’ return midst trials and suffering. We wait because there is reward coming.

Charles Spurgeon, no stranger to suffering, wrote: “When God shall give you a rich return for all you have done for him, you will blush to think you ever doubted; you will be ashamed to think you ever grew weary in his service. You shall have your reward. Not tomorrow, so wait: not the next day perhaps, so be patient. You may be full of doubts one day, your joys sink low. It may be rough windy weather with you in your spirit. You may even doubt whether you are the Lord’s, but if you have rested in the name of Jesus, if by the grace of God you are what you are, if he is all your salvation, and all your desire,—have patience; have patience, for the reward will surely come in God’s good time.”[4]

“Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door” (vs 9). At first, it may seem like James is off on an unrelated rabbit trail, but think of a time you endured suffering or faced a challenging situation. Were you tempted to complain and grumble? James isn’t diverting from his theme of expectant waiting. He is warning us against temptation in our waiting.

Douglas Moo defines grumble: “The word stenazō, grumble or ‘groan’, is usually used absolutely; only here in biblical Greek does it have an object (against one another). The meaning may be that believers should not grumble to others about their difficulties, or that believers should not blame others for their difficulties (cf. neb). It is entirely possible, however, that both ideas are involved.”[5]

Whether grumbling includes one or both of the above definitions, James commands us not to grumble so we will not be judged, the Judge is standing at the door. James’ words should take us back a few days to chapter 4 where he brought our words and judgment together as well. God is the Judge. Judgment is near in the sense that we don’t know when Jesus will return. As we considered earlier, we should be ready. We should examine our own lives, words, actions, and motives. We are clothed in Jesus’ righteousness, but we should be becoming more and more like Jesus who never grumbled or complained.

James now presents two examples of patience or expectant waiting – the prophets and Job. First, the prophets: “As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. “Suffering and patience” has been interpreted two ways. The first translates the Greek kakopatheia assuffering which the phrase would then mean “patience in the face of suffering.” The second translates kakopatheia as “endurance of suffering.” In this case, patience would characterize the manner of suffering – patient endurance of suffering.

Consider Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah, or Hosea as a few. Their prophecies were ignored, but they continued to prophecy. Elijah patiently endured even when Jezebel threatened his life. Jeremiah patiently endured being beaten and put in stocks, being given a death sentence, being called a liar, and being left in a cistern to die. Hosea patiently endured a prostitute wife who he had to redeem as a picture of God’s relationship with Israel. We know from James’ description, “who spoke in the name of the Lord,” that the prophets suffered for their faithfulness to God not from any sin on their part.

Second, Job: “Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (vs 11).

Jesus said: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). And earlier, James wrote: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (vs 1:12). Douglas Moo is helpful in defining blessed as “the objective, unalterable approval and reward of God.”

James uses Job as an example. This might seem strange since in his suffering, Job defended himself, complained, and cursed the day he was born, but we also learn: “And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong” (Job 1:21-22).

“’Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil.’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips” (Job 2:10).

“Though he slay me, I will hope in him” (Job 13:15a). Job struggled, but he never lost faith in God.

James reminds us of the purpose of the Lord in Job’s life. Again, there are a couple views surrounding the purpose of the Lord and both are true: 1) the purpose behind the suffering. Our suffering is never in vain. 2) the end or result that God brings about. Job was rewarded in the end for his faithfulness. [6] But more importantly, Job’s end revealed God’s compassion and mercy – God put limits on Satan affliction of Job, God sustained Job in his suffering, Job knew God better through the suffering, and Job received God’s blessing when God restored his fortunes and health. God’s character was on display.

Paul stated: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

The prophets were not perfect. Job was not perfect. We are not perfect in expectantly waiting, but the author of Hebrews encourages us that Jesus, “the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). We cannot fully fathom the suffering Jesus endured in our place, yet He kept the end goal in mind – the joy that was set before Him, our salvation to God’s glory. He didn’t run from suffering. He didn’t eliminate His suffering by His divine power. He didn’t grumble. He endured suffering, patiently trusting His Father’s purposes. He waited expectantly in His suffering for the Father’s purpose to be accomplished. You and I can expectantly wait in suffering because Jesus will return. He will make all things new. He will punish the wicked, and bring us to Himself where there will be no more tears or suffering.

Reflection

1.        How do you respond in suffering and challenging situations?

2.        Looking back at past suffering or challenging situations, how can you see the purpose in them? How can you see God’s compassion, mercy, and other attributes on display?

3.        How does Jesus’ return encourage you and give you hope in suffering and challenging situations? How does knowing your suffering is not in vain and God’s end of conforming you to the image of Jesus and His glory encourage you?

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jas 5:7–11.

[2] Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 16, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 173.

[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 37:1–7.

[4] David Guzik, James, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), Jas 5:7–8.

[5] Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 16, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 175.

[6] Does not mean we are materially rewarded like God restoring Job’s fortunes.