The Blood of the Poor

John Wesley resolved to be an “out-and-out” Christian and expressed his desire in these words:  “I wish to be, in every point, great and small, a scriptural, rational Christian.”  It was his belief that one’s life should be thoroughly consecrated to God and  that there is no middle ground.  “I resolved,” he said, “to dedicate all my life to God, all my thoughts and words and actions-being thoroughly convinced that there is no medium; but that every part of my life (not some only) must either be a sacrifice to God or to myself-that is in effect, to the devil.”

In his life, stewardship is seen at its best, for he fully dedicated to God his time, talents, possessions-everything.  Once when accused of laying up treasures on earth he replied: “I have two silver teaspoons at London and two at Bristol.  This is all the plate I have at present, and I shall not buy any more while so many around me want bread.”

Wesley’s benevolent heart and sensitive conscience are revealed in the following incident:  “Many years ago,” he said, “when I was at Oxford, on a cold winter’s day, a young maid called upon me.  I said ‘You seem to be half-starved; have you nothing to cover you but that thin linen gown?’  She said, ‘Sir, it is all I have.'  I put my hand in my pocket but found that I had scarce any money left, having just paid away what I had.  It immediately struck me:  Will the Master say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant?  Thou has adorned thy walls with the money which might have screened this poor creature from the cold.’  O justice!  O, mercy!  Are not these pictures the blood of this poor maid?  Everything about thee which cost more than Christian duty required thee to lay out, is the blood of the poor.”

There was much poverty in London during those days (250 years ago) and much suffering among the poor.  No one was more concerned for the needy than was John Wesley, who sometimes gave his last cent to relieve someone in distress.

When the poor girl mentioned above sought help, he was greatly disturbed when he found he had no money to give her.  Was it an over-sensitive-or morbid-conscience that made him condemn himself for having some pictures on his walls?

Wesley always lived frugally and abstemiously, and the pictures, no doubt, were no more expensive ones than people of moderate means, but he would a thousand times rather have bare walls than to think that the money spent for pictures deprived some needy person of food or clothing.

That’s what he meant by those searching words:  “Everything about thee which costs more than Christian duty required thee to lay out is the blood of the poor.”

Searching words indeed-and a challenge to everyone who claims to be a follower of the Master.  The plain meaning for us today is this: Too many people-even many church members are spending their money for the things they want, instead of for the things they need; consequently, it is often the case that when an appeal is made in behalf of those in dire need, there is little left to give.  And by the way, here is where tithing comes in.  A man who had begun to give a tenth of his income said one advantage of tithing is that when he is called upon to support various causes that appeal to him he can always go to his “tithing box” and find something to give.

In various parts of the world today there are urgent calls for help-for food, clothing, shelter, hospital care, orphanages.  If by being economical and careful in our expenditures for the things necessary for our own use, and by practicing self-denial, we are enabled to give more, and thus save some who might otherwise perish-then we may understand what Wesley had in mind when he said:  “Everything about thee which cost more than Christian duty required thee to lay out is the blood of the poor.”

--H. H. Smith.