As we continue to read on, I am amazed by all of the themes which are frequently appearing in Wesley’s sermons. There are patterns to his thinking and familiar phrases of his which keep cropping up from sermon to sermon. The phrase ‘the one thing needful,’ or variations on the phrase, keeps appearing in sermons from week to week, which draws me back to the sermon of that title which was so intriguing to me. Wesley also continues to emphasize the difference between what is external and what is internal, drawing on these concepts to illuminate not only the goal of our actions but also of our inner thoughts and the direction in which our heart is aimed. So much of Wesley’s teaching seems to rest on the differences between the internal and the external, which I continue to see since our reading of ‘The Almost Christian.’ It seems that a great many texts in scripture point Wesley to this distinction, which I find intriguing. In addition to holy love, I can see this contrast between the internal and the external as a signature of Wesley’s.
I particularly appreciated what a different form these sermons on the Sermon on the Mount took. Whereas in other sermons, Wesley loosely references a Scripture to start and then often ends up far away from that beginning text, these four sermons hang closely to the text at hand and are very specific in their analysis and exegesis of Christ’s words. I liked this side of Wesley, and wonder if we will see more of this technique as his ministry evolves and as we move through the anthology of his sermons. I can only hope!
While I found the reading this week very interesting and enlivening, I didn’t come away with nagging issues as I have the last several weeks. This is perhaps the first time I have NOT needed to wrestle with Wesley, which is a nice feeling. I did, however, find myself very convicted by the fourth look at the Sermon on the Mount that we read, Discourse VIII. As Wesley digs into what it means to store up treasures on earth, he clearly explains what is acceptable in terms of wealth and possessions, and what is not acceptable, standing in opposition to God and God’s love. Below is the passage which particularly struck me, in a way that takes my breath away because of its clarity, its bold indictment, and its courage.
“May not this be another reason why rich men shall so hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven? A vast majority of them are under a curse, under the peculiar curse of God; inasmuch as in the general tenor of their lives they are not only robbing God continually, embezzling and wasting the Lord’s goods, and by that very means corrupting their own souls; but also robbing the poor, the hungry, the naked, wronging the widow and the fatherless, and making themselves accountable for all the want, affliction, and distress which they may but do not remove. Yea, doth not the blood of all those who perish for want of what they either lay up or lay out needlessly, cry against them from the earth? O what account will they give to him who is ready to judge both the quick and the dead!” (p251)
It is one thing to claim that the reason not to store up treasures on earth is because it is indicative of greed or lack of concern for others. But to say first that this is robbing God and embezzling from God is an incredibly strong statement which leaves a greater sting than just a proclamation against greed. What Christian can say that they are okay with the idea of robbing or embezzling from the saving God, from the God who loves us so profoundly? Who would sign on for this? But then also that in this same act of hoarding we are robbing the poor, the widow and the orphan? How can anyone continue to stand and let worldly possessions matter after hearing this take on treasures on earth? This makes one serious stewardship sermon, not to manipulate or entice people to give to the church, but rather to turn our human understandings of possession and wealth on its head. It is not simply the acquisition of goods which is problematic to our lives of faith, but what this external acquisition indicates of the inner workings of our faith. If we are willing to rob God and turn a blind eye to the poor and the orphan, how could we possibly expect to possess and to demonstrate the love of God which is so essential to Wesley’s understanding of faith? Storing up treasures on earth is like a tattoo on our foreheads that proclaims ‘I don’t get it! I have no idea what the love of God looks like!’
And yet…this is all easier said than done, as we all know. There are few ideas or statements more countercultural than this proclamation to steer clear of acquiring too many things. I am thankful for Wesley’s boldness here, because it reminds me and it stings me. It leaves me floundering and yet refreshed, because it gives such a strong reason and account for renouncing this worldly need for things. Few commercials are convincing enough to make me want to rob from God. No advertising or cultural pressure can withstand such a strong image. Thanks be to God. And to Wesley, for smacking me around a little.
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