Patience in the Face of the Wicked

Here James addresses what we must assume was a pervasive problem in the first century (and one that has survived into the twenty-first century), the rich oppression of the poor. James urges the Christians not to lose heart in the face of oppression and affliction. Whether they were slaves mistreated by their masters, or men or women working for a bare subsistence wage (and sometimes defrauded of even that), James offers encouragement by reminding them of the judgement awaiting their greedy oppressors. Christians ask: "If God loves me, why did I lose my job? Why was I afflicted with a chronic disease? Why did my baby die?" etc. This message addresses the question: "If God really loves us, why does He permit all this evil? He has the power to end it all, WHY DOES HE NOT DO SO?"