by Don Hatfield
witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.” The rich man looked stunned that anyone would dare talk to him in this manner. Then the rich man said, “How dare you talk to me like that. I employ many people and give them their livelihood. They all love me and honor me.” James looked at him for what seemed and eternity. The rich man looked smug because he thought he had silenced James. Then in a soft voice James said, “ Behold the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud cries and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of the Sabbath. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and have been wanton: ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just and he does not resist you.” There was complete silence. A silence like I have never witnessed before. It was as if the whole earth and all of its animals were waiting to hear the rich man’s reply. His face had turned ashen for he knew that James knew exactly what kind of man he was. He sat there on that road condemned. I wish that I could say that he repented and ask for the forgiveness of our Savior but he did not. He just turned his head and gave his horses a tug and continued on the road to Jericho. A road of an eternity without Christ.
It was growing late in the day and James and I knew that we had to be on our way so with prayers and praises we left Jacob and Levi as they stood by the road waving goodbye. We walked together and climbed our last hill and we could see the city of Jericho. James asked that we sit for a few moments before we parted company. He then said, “Mark I have a few more things I would like to say to you before we part company. You are young and have many days ahead of you to serve your Savior. Be patient therefore brethren unto the coming of the Lord. Behold the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth and has long patience for it until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patience establish your heart for the coming of the Lord draws nigh. Our lives are over so quickly Mark. Just yesterday I was young running up and down the hills in play. Today I am old and hobbled. Make you heart and your will stable in Christ Jesus for many are the troubles of we who believe and yet He is but a breath away. Grudge not one against another brethren lest ye be condemned behold the judge stands at the door. Mark, do not groan and complain about your brothers for what does it accomplish. It only takes your mind from Christ your Savior. It diverts your fellowship and wastes your breath which could have been used for praise. Take my brethren the prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction and suffering. Behold we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy. Mark, it is amazing to me how merciful our Lord is to us who are such sinners. How very kind He is to us who do not deserve His kindness. But above all things my brother swear not neither by heaven neither by earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea and your nay, nay lest ye fall into condemnation. Mark, if your answer be yes then let it be yes if it be no then let it be no. You and I have not the right to bring what is Gods into our pledge or promises for if we do not fulfill them then we bring God into it and by doing so make ourselves hypocrites.” I nodded in agreement for I had sworn by things that belong to God and then did not stand by what I had sworn to do. I told James about some of these things and we prayed together that from that moment on I would not do so again. The day sun was beginning to set and even just outside the city the Jericho road was not safe to be on at night. James said, “Mark, we must be going for the day waxes old but let me say just a word about prayer before we part. Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him. Not everyone who comes will be healed but everyone who comes will be blessed in one way or the other. God may healed physically or He may heal with His grace but He will heal if we come. My friend Paul who is a preacher to the Gentiles ask God to heal him of a sickness that he has and God told Him that His grace is sufficient. Paul has accepted God’s grace and God uses him in a mighty way.” I made a mental note to ask James of this Paul of whom he was speaking. James continued, “Mark, never be too proud instead confess your faults one to another and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avail’s much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. Prayer ought to become as natural as breathing for we believers and yet I fear it will become the most neglected thing that we have. I fear that the most powerful force that we have been blessed with will be the least used.” I knew he was right for in my own life my prayers consisted of a couple of minutes in the mornings instead of a continual song all the day long. I prayed to my Savior that I could learn to live to be what James was speaking. James then said, “Mark, the last thing I want you to remember is this. My brother if any of you do err from the truth and one convert him. Let him know that he which converted the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins. Mark always be willing to help a brother or sister who has fallen off the right path. Always be willing to lend a hand to one of your fellow believers who is going astray. Often when they are on that path they will resent you but do not let that deter you. Keep one hand out to them and the other resting in the hand of Jesus lest you also go astray.” James then stopped for the light of day was almost gone. He turned to the right and I to the left. I never saw him again but I will never forget how he held his hand out to me there on the Jericho road. I have walked that road many times after that meeting with James. I am also looking for others so I may also share some of the wisdom that James had shared with me. I guess we all are walking on our own Jericho road. May we not be too busy to help a fellow believer or to share our faith with those looking for the Savior.
The End
In Christ, Don Hatfield