Pastor John Wright

As background to this weekend's Scriptures, I was reading a sermon by John Wesley called "The Circumcision of the Heart." Wesley writes, "Our gospel, as it knows no other foundation of good works than faith, or of faith than Christ, so it clearly informs us, we are not his disciples while we either deny him [Christ] to be the Author, or his Spirit to be the Inspirer and Perfecter, both of our faith and works." What most characterizes Wesley's thought and life is this continual turning back to Christ and faith in Christ for renewal in justice through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Wesley is quite direct and truthful: "This God's short and plain account of true religion and virtue; and 'other foundation can no man lay.' It is Christ who "alone can quicken those Who are dead unto God, can breathe into them the breath of Christian life, and so prevent, accompany, and follow them with his grace as to bring their good desires to good effect."

Only Christ can bring their good desires to good effect. Perhaps this will help us see a common thread throughout the passages.

Isaiah 59:1-4, 9-19

Our OT passage begins with a very blunt assessment that it is human sin that separates persons from God, rather than finding blame in God. The passage attributes the lack of justice of the very personal human sin that sticks to human hands and the resultant gloom that comes as a result. Possibly you might want to read through the passage and see if this is a fair assessment of what is going on it. Of course, we are much more comfortable with a psychological language of "healthy" and "unhealthy" when it comes to speaking about individuals and a sociological language of "structures" and "powers" when it comes to groups of persons. What do you hear as the difference between these languages?

What is God's response to the extent of sin that leads to injustice and the lack of truth? To what does the passage look forward to as a solution to this problem of injustice caused by human sin? Where do we confess this solution has already occured? When do we confess that the solution will occur in its fullness?

Hebrews 5:12-6:1,9-12

The Hebrews passage reprimands us to move past the "basic teaching" or "fundamental principles of Christ" and to press on to perfection, to move to maturity, to have our faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from evil (interestingly, the passage presupposes one must be trained to make such distinctions rather than seeing them as obvious to all). The movement is away from "dead works" yet nonetheless an exhortation to works. What type of works does this passage exhort us through our faith toward God? Whom are we to imitate to keep moving on, to be able to distinguish between good and evil?

Mark 10:46-52

The gospel passage speaks of Jesus bringing a blind man to see. It has a spiritual as well as a physical significance as the person follows Jesus as a result of now seeing. What is the faith that has made him well? To whom is this faith directed? Why would people try to silence Bartimaeus? Notice that it is not the disciples, but others who order him to be quiet. To whom does Bartimaeus cry out in calling out to Jesus?

After these passages, maybe it'd be good to again discuss the Wesley quote. Do you think that it is a good teaching? What particular relevance in placing Christ as the basis for faith which is the basis for good works for our Christian and congregational life?