First Example of Patient Endurance: The Farmer (James 5:7–9)

THE STRENGTH OF PATIENCE

When James wrote, "Be patient," he was still talking to the suffering saints. This was his advice at the start of his letter (James 1:1–5) and at the end of it. Until Jesus Christ comes back, God won't fix all the wrongs in this world. We believers must be patient and expect this.

James told us three times that the Lord was coming (James 5:7–9). This is what Christians call their "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13). We don't expect everything to be easy and comfortable in this life. "In the world ye shall have tribulation" (John 16:33). Paul told the Christians of his day that "we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). Until Jesus comes back, we must be patient and go through difficult times and heartaches.

James used two different words to mean "patience." The word "long-tempered" was used in James 5:7–8, 10. The words "endure" and "patience" in James 5:11 literally mean "to stay under" and talk about being able to handle a lot of stress. "Patience" means "to stay where you are and not run away." Many Greek scholars think that "longsuffering" means being patient with people, while "endurance" means being patient with situations or conditions.

But the question we need to answer is: How can we, as Christians, show this kind of patient endurance while we wait for the Lord to come back? James provided three examples of patient endurance to address that question and need.

First Example of Patient Endurance: The Farmer (5:7–9)

An impatient man shouldn't become a farmer. No crops grow overnight (except maybe weeds), and farmers can't control the weather. Too much rain can cause the crop to rot, and too much sun can cause it to burn. A frost that comes too soon can kill the crop. The farmer must be very patient with the weather!

He also needs to be patient with the seed and the crop because plants take time to grow. In the fall, Jewish farmers would plow and plant. The "early rain" would make the ground softer. The "latter rain" would come in the early spring, which is February and March for us, and it would help the harvest get ready. The farmer had to wait a long time for his seed to grow fruit.

Why did he want to wait so long? The fruit is "precious" (James 5:7). It's worth waiting for the harvest. We will reap in due time if we don't give up (Gal. 6:9). "For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come." (Mark 4:28–29).

James considered the Christian to be a "spiritual farmer" who was looking for a spiritual harvest. "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts" (James 5:8). The "seed is the word of God" (Luke 8:11) and our hearts are the soil. Just like the soil, the spiritual life goes through different seasons. The Lord has to "plow up" our hearts before He can plant the seed (Jer. 4:3). He sends the sun and rain of His goodness to water and care for the seeds that have been planted. We just have to be patient until the harvest.

So, here's a secret to getting through tough times: God is making things better in our lives. He wants the "fruit of the Spirit" to grow (Gal. 5:22–23), and the only way He can do that is by putting us through challenging times. We should surrender to God and let the fruit grow instead of getting mad at Him or ourselves. We are "spiritual farmers" who are looking for a profitable crop.

You can only enjoy this kind of harvest if your heart is strong (James 5:8). One of the goals of the local church's spiritual ministry is to strengthen the heart (Rom. 1:11). Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica to help the new Christians grow in their faith (1 Thess. 3:1–3), and he also prayed for them to grow (1 Thess. 3:10–13). The ministry of the Word of God and prayer is crucial for establishing the heart. An unstable heart is unproductive.

Remember that the farmer is always working toward the harvest. He doesn't just stand around doing nothing. James did not tell these hurting Christians to wear white robes, climb a hill, and wait for Jesus to come back. "Keep working and waiting," he told them. “Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing” (Luke 12:43).

The farmer also doesn't get into fights with his neighbors. One thing that farmers often do is help each other out. No one on the farm has the time or energy to fight with the neighbors. James must have had such an idea in mind when he said, "Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned [judged]" (James 5:9). Being impatient with God can make us impatient with God's people, which is a sin we should stay away from. We will miss the harvest if we start using sickles on each other!