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THE CROWN OF LIFE

James 1:12

Happy is the man who meets trial with steadfast constancy because, when he has shown himself of sterling worth, he will receive the crown of life which he has promised to those who love him.

TO those who meet trials in the right way, there is joy here and hereafter.

(1) In this life, they become men and women of sterling worth. The word used is dokimos. They are like metal which is cleansed of all alloy. The weaknesses of character are eradicated; and they emerge strong and pure.

(2) In the life to come, they receive the crown of life. There is far more than one idea here. In the ancient world, the crown (stephanos) had at least four great associations.

(a) The crown of flowers was worn at times of joy, at weddings and at feasts (cf. Isaiah 28:1–2; Song of Solomon 3:11). The crown was the sign of festive joy.

(b) The crown was the mark of royalty. It was worn by kings and by those in authority. Sometimes this was the crown of gold; sometimes it was the linen strip, or head-band, worn around the brow (cf. Psalm 21:3; Jeremiah 13:18).

(c) The crown of laurel leaves was the victor’s crown in the games, the prize which athletes coveted above all (cf. 2 Timothy 4:8).

(d) The crown was the mark of honour and of dignity. The instructions of parents can bring a crown of grace to those who listen to them (Proverbs 1:9); wisdom provides a crown of glory (Proverbs 4:9); in a time of disaster and dishonour, it can be said: ‘The crown has fallen from our head’ (Lamentations 5:16).

We do not need to choose between these meanings. They are all included. Christians have a joy that others can never have. Life for them is like always being at a feast. They have a royalty that others have never achieved, for, however humble their earthly circumstances, they are the children of God. They have a victory which others cannot win, for they meet life and all its demands in the conquering power of the presence of Jesus Christ. They have a new dignity, for they are always conscious that God considered them worth the life and death of Jesus Christ.

What is the crown? It is the crown of life, and that phrase means that it is the crown which consists of life. The Christian crown is a new kind of living which is life indeed; through Jesus Christ, Christians have entered into a life that is more abundant.

James says that if Christians meet the testings of life in the steadfast constancy which Christ can give, life becomes infinitely more splendid than ever it was before. The struggle is the way to glory, and the very struggle itself is a glory.