Wesley - A Missional Theologian?

This week, I decided to trace a theme throughout Wesley’s sermons based on Matthew 5-7, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. This picks up on a theme I mentioned in a previous weeks’ reflection – that of Wesley’s understanding of mission and witness and the believers’ role in God’s redemptive plan for the world. I will make reference to Discourse IV, VI and VIII (please forgive the excessive quoting of Wesley as I trace this theme). Initially, it appears that Wesley has a solid missional foundation that grounds his understanding of personal holiness, the individual Christian life, even eschatology. However, there are some gaping holes that emerge later in these discourses that continue to raise questions for me.

“Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, IV” (1748)
When discussing Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth,” Wesley says:
“It is your very nature to season whatever is round about you. It is the nature of the divine savour which is in you to spread to whatsoever you touch; to diffuse itself on every side, to all those among whom you are. This is the great reason why the providence of God has so mingled you together with other men, that whatever grace you have received of God may through you be communicated to others; that every holy temper, and word, and work of yours, may have an influence on them also.” (p. 198)

The reason this caught my attention is due to my initial reflection and question for Wesley. I was asking, in relation to Wesley’s understanding of holiness, what the end or purpose was? Here I think we can gain a little traction. In this passage, Wesley makes it clear that personal holiness is not an end in itself. Instead he shows that it is a means to a greater end – that of God’s mission for the world – so that the grace of God might be expressed to others through our holy living (in attitudes, words, work), and may have an influence on them also. Similar themes continued to appear throughout this sermon.

In reference to Matthew 5:14-15 (being the light of the world, a city on a hill, an uncovered lamp on a stand), Wesley says:
“… it is the design of God that every Christian should be in an open point of view; that he may give light to all around; that he may visibly express the religion of Jesus Christ. Thus hath God in all ages spoken to the world, not only by precept but by example also. He hath ‘not left himself without witness’ in any nation where the sound of the gospel hath gone forth, without a few who testified his truth by their lives as well as their words… And from time to time they have been the means of enlightening some… They have led a few poor sheep out of the darkness of the world, and guided their feet into the way of peace.” (pp. 200-201)

Here Wesley seems to take things even further by stating that it is the very design of God that our Christian lives and holiness point beyond ourselves to Christ and His grace. In living this way, Wesley believes we are serving as a witness to the world as both “precept and example,” and may even play a role in guiding some others toward the loving grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

Wesley concludes this sermon by exhorting the readers/hearers to, “Be ye artless and simple to all mankind, that all may see the grace of God which is in you. And although some will harden their hearts, yet others will take knowledge that ye have been with Jesus, and by returning themselves ‘to the great Bishop of their souls’, ‘glorify your Father which is in heaven’. With this one design, that men may ‘glorify God in you’, go on in his name and in the power of his might… Let the light which is in your heart shine in all good works, both works of piety and works of mercy.” (p. 206)

By using such language as “with this one design,” Wesley seems to be saying that this is God’s ultimate goal and purpose for God’s people while living on earth. In other words, personal holiness is in service of God’s redemptive plan for the world. We live holy lives here and now so that we might be an example of God’s grace to others, but also the channel through which God’s grace might be expressed in loving deeds toward others.

This seems like a significant move or development from what we have previously read from Wesley. I even re-read sections to make sure I understood him correctly. So, it was comforting for me to see this same theme re-emerge in Discourse VI – treating Matthew 6:1-15, in particular as part of his exposition on the Lord’s Prayer.

“Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, VI” (1748)
As Wesley begins to expound on the six petitions within the Lord’s Prayer, this missional theme appears again:
“In praying that God, or his ‘name’, may ‘be hallowed’ or glorified, we pray that he may be known, such as he is, by all that are capable thereof, by all intelligent beings, and with affections suitable to that knowledge: that he may be duly honoured and feared and loved by all in heaven above and in the earth beneath; by all angels and men, whom for that end he has made capable of knowing and loving him to eternity.” (p. 230)

Central to Wesley’s understanding of this prayer is the notion that we are praying for God to be known, “such as he is” to every intelligent being. God’s nature is that of love, grace and therefore we pray that God’s grace be made known to everyone.

Moving to the next petition, “Thy kingdom come,” Wesley says:
“We pray for the coming of his everlasting kingdom, the kingdom of glory in heaven, which is the continuation and perfection of the kingdom of grace on earth. Consequently this, as well as the preceding petition [‘Hallowed be your name’], is offered up for the whole intelligent creation, who are all interested in this grand event, the final renovation of all things by God’s putting an end to misery and sin, to infirmity and death, taking all things into his own hands, and setting up the kingdom which endureth throughout all ages.” (p. 231)

Here we get a glimpse of Wesley’s eschatology: “the kingdom of glory in heaven, which is the continuation and perfection of the kingdom of grace on earth.” However, this is where things begin to unravel slightly for me. By insisting on an eschatology like this, that God’s kingdom of grace on earth being continued and perfected when Christ returns, we must assume some serious missional implications. For example, if we accept this eschatology then we must assume that what we do here and now on earth will have eternal affects – even if imperfectly. It is therefore quite surprising to me that Wesley does not seem aware of what these implications might be (at least not in this sermon). So, I find myself asking, where else does Wesley talk about eschatology? And, how (if at all) does his understanding of eschatology shape his understanding of Christian discipleship and the nature/role of the Church?

As we move to the next petition in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done on earth, as in heaven,” Wesley develops this primarily in terms of the human response to God’s will – i.e. that they do it willingly, continually, and perfectly. What is lacking here is any discussion as to what God’s will might actually be or involve. If Wesley were to be operating upon a missional foundation, surely this would factor in here. This would be an ideal occasion to remind the hearers/readers of this sermon that God’s will is always connected to God’s redemptive plan for the world. There is even the perfect opportunity to tie this petition together with the two preceding petitions where Wesley did allude to the missional theme. However, this is lacking and we are left asking, “What is God’s will?” Wesley gives no definitive answer at this stage.

“Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, VIII” (1748)
This sermon is packed with some great teaching on stewardship. However, the focus is primarily upon the individual’s soul and the state of one’s soul before God. We have seen this is an important and dominant theme throughout Wesley’s sermons. Even Wesley’s concluding exhortations to “give plenteously” (p. 252) are primarily tied to the healthy effects on the soul of the giver. Wesley gives little attention to the effects the gift might have on the receiver. The focus is clearly on the giver “storing up treasures in heaven,” and there is no mention of how giving plenteously might express the love of Christ and bear witness to God’s grace.

What about the missional and witness implications of living by these commands? What is the true purpose of living this way in Wesley’s mind – individual salvation and eternal benefits, or the means through which God is on a redemptive mission for the whole world? Perhaps after all of this I am simply imposing my own wishes and hopes on Wesley only to find that they do not fit… What do you think?