But let the brother of humble circumstances glory in his high position; and let the rich man glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.  For the sun rises with a scorching wind, and withers the grass; and its flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.

In verses 9-11, James is talking about a common cycle:  growth.  As an illustration, James uses the flower.  The flowering grass begins as only grass (perhaps wheat, or some other flowering plant).  When it reaches a certain age in the cycle, a flower bud forms.  Next a flower.  Then something happens in the scenario that shakes everything up.  The Sun rises and with it, a scorching hot wind.  The next stage in this parable is very important:  The grass withers.  Not the flower, but the grass.  And when the grass withers away, the beautiful flower has nothing to hold it up.

Jesus tells us something similar in Luke 14:11. "For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted."

The message:  Some things matter.  Some do not.  What, in your life will wither away at the first sign of trouble?  What will fade in the crushing wind?

The beautiful flower is founded on the blade of grass.  We are the same.  So what does your foundation look like?  James tells us the humble should look to his high position, the rich to their humiliation.

Some things matter - some do not.  The wise man will learn to tell the difference.