Imitating Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth -- Part II

I didn't expect it would take two posts to discuss Chapter 1! Ok, so I may have strayed from commenting on the text at hand. Well, the discourse on Faith and Reason is necessary, I think. It is a sad state of affairs when either Faith or Reason has to be defended, let alone both!

Returning to a Kempis...

Imitating Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth

The first thing that comes to my mind when reading the latter half of Chapter 1 is Matthew 6.19-24. Especially v. 21, "for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." It is vain to be greedy, proud, gluttonous, envious and lustful. (Is it just me, or are those 5 of the 7 Deadly Sins? Envy is coveteousness, and I separated the desires of the flesh into the more narrowly defined categores of gluttony and lust.)

I like the way Augustine explains this passage of Scripture:

If, therefore, the heart be on earth, i.e. if one perform anything with a heart bent on obtaining earthly advantage, how will that heart be clean which wallows on earth? But if it be in heaven, it will be clean, because whatever things are heavenly are clean. For anything becomes polluted when it is mixed with a nature that is inferior, although not polluted of its kind; for gold is polluted even by pure silver, if it be mixed with it: so also our mind becomes polluted by the desire after earthly things, although the earth itself be pure of its kind and order. But we would not understand heaven in this passage as anything corporeal, because everything corporeal is to be reckoned as earth. For he who lays up treasure for himself in heaven ought to despise the whole world. Hence it is in that heaven of which it is said, "The heaven of heavens is the Lord's i.e. in the spiritual firmament: for it is not in that which is to pass away that we ought to fix and place our treasure and our heart, but in that which ever abideth; but heaven and earth shall pass away.
-St. Augustine., Latter Part of the Sermon on the Mount - Book II. Ch. XIII. 44.

What more can I say on that? I am certainly less elloquent than Augustine! Neither am I as insightful as Calvin:

"Where your treasure shall be" By this statement Christ proves that they are unhappy men who have their treasures laid up on the earth: because their happiness is uncertain and of short duration. Covetous men cannot be prevented from breathing in their hearts a wish for heaven: but Christ lays down an opposite principle, that, wherever men imagine the greatest happiness to be, there they are surrounded and confined. Hence it follows, that they who desire to be happy in the world renounce heaven. We know how carefully the philosophers conducted their inquiries respecting the supreme good. It was the chief point on which they bestowed their labor, and justly: for it is the principle on which the regulation of our life entirely depends, and the object to which all our senses are directed. If honor is reckoned the supreme good, the minds of men must be wholly occupied with ambition: if money, covetousness will immediately predominate: if pleasure, it will be impossible to prevent men from sinking into brutal indulgence. We have all a natural desire to pursue happiness; and the consequence is, that false imaginations carry us away in every direction. But if we were honestly and firmly convinced that our happiness is in heaven, it would be easy for us to trample upon the world, to despise earthly blessings, (by the deceitful attractions of which the greater part of men are fascinated,) and to rise towards heaven. For this reason Paul, with the view of exciting believers to look upwards, and of exhorting them to meditate on the heavenly life, (Colossians 3:1,) presents to them Christ, in whom alone they ought to seek perfect happiness; thus declaring, that to allow their souls to grovel on the earth would be inconsistent and unworthy of those whose treasure is in heaven.
-John Calvin., Commentary on Matthew 6.19-21.

What I love about this passage by a Kempis is the way he puts everything in perspective. He explains why chasing after these things are vain. In the middle of it all, there is some hope. Desire a good life, not necessarily a long life. Look forward to the wonder that is to come once this life is over. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, where eternal joy abides. Focus on Faith; what is not seen. If you follow after flesh, it will corrupt you. There are verses in Romans that come to mind with regards to the flesh and corruption. (Actually, pretty much all of chapters 6-8).

He then ends the chapter with some great advice. "Try, moreover, to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible." Turn your heart to God. I have an older copy of The Imitation of Christ, and my copy says that those who "follow after their own fleshly lusts, defile the conscience, and destroy the grace of God." That's a pleasant picture isn't it? But isn't it true? Haven't we all done that thing (for me it's usually chocolate-related,) and you know you shouldn't but you feel you just need to? How do you feel after that? Lemme tell ya, about half-way into that Hershey bar, I'm feeling sick with myself. Now I know my example is a little simplistic, and a Kempis isn't talking about occasional indulgences in junk food, but I think it illustrates the point. If a Hershey bar (gluttony) can make me sick with myself, what of even graver sins that I know I repeatedly commit and that I'd rather not discuss on a blog, thank you very much! But the answers are not always cut and dry. Sometimes it is abstinance, sometimes it is moderation. It depends on the sin. For me, moderation with chocolate seems reasonable. (Certainly more desireable than abstaining from chocolate!) If the sin is marital infidelity, moderation is not an option.

We have now examined the differences between treasures on earth versus laying up treasures in heaven. Therefore, let us walk worthy of the calling by which we are called, rather than groveling here on earth like an addict looking for our next "sin fix".