There are realities beyond our sight that are more lasting and real than the things we can see with our eyes.  For example, the Bible teaches that there are angels and demons, but we are not able to see them, yet they are just as real as the things we can touch and feel.  In the previous section of James, James called on us to see beyond the trials, no matter how heinous and difficult, to see that the trials are God's tools for making us more mature and complete.  Just as we were called upon to see beyond the trials to their true purpose, we are called upon to see beyond the temporal reality of wealth and poverty, to perceive our true standing in the gospel.

The gospel is the great inverter.  The gospel does not promise a redistribution of earthly wealth, rather in the gospel God distributes grace to all, so that the poor brother should glory in his exaltation before God.  The one who is poor in this life, will rule with Jesus the King in the life to come.  Because of this, the poor one should not define himself by his poverty in this life.  Rather, the poor brother should see this life for what it is, it is transitory, and the life to come, the life of exaltation, will be forever.  Thus, the poor brother should base his life now on the fact that one day he will be exalted.  The poor brother may be poor in earthly wealth, but in the last day when Jesus returns, he will inherit the earth.

The temporal nature of this life is also instructive for the brother who is rich.  The Bible is clear that wealth is not evil, but wealth is a particular difficulty, because the wealthy one is tempted to trust in his wealth for security.  James reminds the wealthy in this passage, that wealth will secure no one from death.  The important and powerful ones in this life are nothing more than the beautiful blossoms of the field, they are beautiful for a time, but their beauty is destroyed by the heat of the sun.  The wealthy and the important in this life are only wealthy and important for a time, so because of this the rich brother should not base his assessment of himself on the transitoriness of this life's wealth.  What is the rich brother to do?  The same thing as the poor brother, assess himself in light of the gospel. 

The gospel did not come to the rich man because he was rich, it came to him because he is sinful.  The antidote for pride in this passage is to see the cross with all of its humiliation.  By trusting the gospel the rich brother says implicitly, "God did in Christ, what I could not do on my own."  In other words, in the gospel grace comes to the rich man because he is a sinner, not because he is wealthy.  Thus, the rich man should remember his true standing, and base his life on it.