One quickly picks up from the opening text of James' letter that he was writing to Jewish-Christians who found themselves as 'ethnic minority groups' dispersed across Samaria and Judea from Jerusalam (probabaly after the stoning of Stephen - Acts 8:1-3 ). 

In thier new contexts they were finding themseleves facing new pressures and challenges.  There seem to be TWO main ‘trials’ Jame's identifies and addresses:

1) External pressures from the rich influential classes among whom they find themseleves 'dispersed'

2) Internal conflict that is evoked by these new external pressures.  Through these external pressures strain is being put on relationships within the community of believers themselves.  The one place therefore that should have been a safe haven from which to draw strength is actually being found to be a place of conflict and dysfunction.

Understanding  the point...

Understanding these conflicts and trials will better help us understand the purpose of the letter. These also beautifully illustrate how with every trial is God's wisdom to be perceived.  In responce to each trial James in his letter gives a Godly perspective and some Godly wisdom as to how they should be dealing with them.

Getting Wisdom in trials...

How do we get wisdom in challanging situations?  James says to ask the Father in faith, but the answer for these guys was offered partly in the form of a letter - in James giving wisdom and encouragement.  A QUESTION - Do we have several wise people we can draw upon in trials?  How else have we found God's wisdom in trials?

So lets unpack the trials these believers were facing in a little more detail.

1st Source of trials:  The rich oppressors 

the cultural and economic elites of the surrounding community (James 2:6-7) They kept back their wages, condemned and murdered the righteous, dragged them into the courts, oppressed them and blasphemed the Noble NAME by which they were called (James 5:1-6)   All in all pretty nasty stuff!

God’s wisdom/perspective in the trial – James 5:1-12 – Be patient - God  will judge the oppressor;  Jesus is coming back;  take encouragement from the prophets who suffered and went through trials before you – Job, Abraham, Joseph and others to name but a few.  Look at their end – THERE IS AN END INTENDED BY THE LORD!  Know that He is very compassionate and merciful, because He is working it together for good. 

2nd Source of trials: Internal conflict

within the community (evoked by the external pressure they are facing from the ‘rich oppressors’) –  First tip off of there being internal conflict among the community of believers being addressed is James 1:19-20 (‘Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger’)  Secondly in chapters 3,4 we see plainly that there is community discord and in his summary of the letter in 5:9 we see that the oppression of the rich has had an affect on the community with people grumbling against each other. 

God’s wisdom/perspective in the trial -  James 5:7-20 He  paints them a vision of who they can become as a community together, a picture of the reconciled community.  A patient community, not grumbling against one another, corporate faith holding onto God’s goodness and mercy, standing together praying for those who are suffering, singing with those who rejoice, praying for the sick, being open, confessing sin, a community of prayer and power, a community watching out for each other.

An Observation...

What James is describing is an accurate picture of what we often see, external pressures (economic for example) can have pressured affects on communities, be it a marriage, family, a town or region.  

James is therefore addressing a dysfunctional community that can quite easily have application into our own lives be it within a shcool, company, family, team, marriage, cell group or church.

What is a trial?

The  trials James describes here may not sound particulary 'spiritual', but then this just goes to show how practical our faith is!

Seeing here the diversity of these trials addressed by James, what would your answer and personal experiance be in responce to this question?