James 1:10

... and the rich in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

Gibson and others are reluctant to receive the rich man in view here as a Christian brother. "The rich are never elsewhere spoken of as brothers in this epistle."[26] Nevertheless, the expression "brethren" is used sixteen times in this letter, and all who were mentioned (except in James 4:7-10 and in James 5:1-6) fall under the blanket inclusion of that endearing address. How could it be supposed that James was addressing rich unbelievers? It seems mandatory then to accept the rich of this passage as rich Christians. What James did here with reference to the rich and the poor is exactly the same thing that Paul did with regard to slaves and masters. Barnes' comment on this is:

Paul beautifully balances the respective conditions of slaves and freemen, by honoring the former with the appellation of the Lord's freeman, and imposing on the latter that of Christ's servants (1 Corinthians 7:22).[27]

As the flower of the grass he shall pass away ... Christ also used the metaphor of the grass to describe the ephemeral quality of life on earth (Matthew 6:20); and there can be little doubt that James had in mind the very words of Jesus in the comparison written here. Whatever riches may be acquired, whatever power may be grasped, whatever glory may come to life, whatever eminence, popularity and fame may shine upon anyone, it is all over in a moment of time. The perfection of the rich is therefore attained through his acceptance of that glory which pertains to the "poor in spirit," even during that time when, in the eyes of the world, he may still be rich. The sentiment of this passage echoes the words of Jesus (Matthew 5:3).

[26] E. C. S. Gibson, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 21, James (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 3.

[27] Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 22.