The Weak Strong Man

"At the Day of Judgement we shall not be asked what we have read, but what we have done." — The Imitation of Christ, Book I, Ch. 3

One of the great disadvantages, I think, of striving to become a scholar is that one loses out on the more important simple truths of life. Thomas à Kempis, one of the great Christian mystics, once wrote:

“We ought to read devout and simple books as willingly as those that are high and profound [and] let the love of simple truth lead thee to read [not] who may have said a thing, but rather consider what is said.” (Imitations of Christ, Book 1, Ch. 5)

There is something refreshing about this approach. Unfortunately, not everyone who has something to say can or is willing to expose the simple truth. Preachers are no exception, either. Once, as I remember so well, we sat under the ministry of well-educated preacher who, as the saying goes, “Dan to Beersheba and everything in between” in his weekly sermon, but no one of my acquaintance had the foggiest notion whatsoever what he was talking about. In contrast, however, his children sermons were excellent. ‘My,’ I often thought, ‘if he would only preach to us like he talked to the children, it would be great!’

It is simply not necessary to dissect all the nuances of a text on love to in anyway improve on the act of love of a Savior who touched a leper, or healed the blind, or carried the heavy load of a criminal’s cross to save us. Such love is pretty straight forward, and needs no embellishments. The same goes for all the self-help feel good sermons floating across the airwaves and from our pulpits these days, too.

Truth is, nothing will make a sinner feel better than forgiveness of sin, or no self-help advice can substitute for “casting all of our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7)” for indeed, He does really are for us! Paul acknowledged that when he wrote,

Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Paul knew where his strength lay, and we are best off to recognize this simple truth, also.

Again, with brotherly affection,

JimR_/