Wednesday, January 12, 2011

The Weight of Glory

The Weight of Glory was a sermon preached by C.S. Lewis on June 8, 1942, but still has an incredible impact on the world today. This sermon was packed with different topics and ideas for Christians that are incredibly challenging to comprehend. He talks about a range of things; from how people are too easily pleased to different types of glory and how Christians are to respond to the 'glory' they have been given.

When I read the quote, "We are far too easily pleased," at first I was taken aback because to me it always seemed humans are so difficult to please, because we are never happy with what we have. Instead, Lewis argues that we are "halfhearted creatures" and that we don't take up the offer which has been offered to us; that of "infinite joy." When I think about the fact that we are too easily pleased, though, it's truer than what I thought before. We get completely caught up in earthly pleasures and seem to be satisfied by them. There is such a range of pleasures; from drinking and sex to vanity and dinner parties. Whatever they are, these pleasures are only temporary and often make us blind to the eternal happiness that God has so willingly offered us.

Another point he makes is that Christians tend to think of their life as completely mercenary. If we live a mercenary based life, we are constantly thinking of the rewards that come with doing this or that. He uses the examples of marriage and a general fighting in the war. Regarding marriage he says, "Money is not the natural reward of love...but marriage is the proper reward for a real lover, and he is not mercenary for desiring it." Regarding the general, he says, "A general who fights well in order to get a peerage is mercenary; a general who fights for victory is not, victory being the proper reward of battle as marriage is the proper reward of love." Lewis also gives an example of a learning student, which is very relevant to all of us in college. We can't necessarily look forward to enjoyment of the things we are looking forward to like we can look forward to marriage or if in a war, look forward to victory. However, after a lot of studying, we will begin to enjoy what we are learning more and more and can eventually enjoy the proper reward: full enjoyment of the knowledge we have gained.

The title of "The Weight of Glory" is something that is difficult for me to wrap my mind around. The glory we have been given by God comes from the fact that he loves us and delights in us in a way that we cannot even imagine. Lewis says that we are delighted in "as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son." This glory that we are given is almost more than we can bear because we have done nothing to deserve it and are constantly proving that we are imperfect beings and are not worthy of delight. That is one thing that is so wonderful about God: we are such sinful creatures, and yet God delights in us because each one of us is His child. This brings me to another quote in this sermon: "There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal." The next time you talk to anybody, remember that each one of us is a child of God who is destined to something more than just this life on earth. Maybe we would treat others a little bit differently if we all could remember that.

2 comments:

  1. I really like the reference to Christians as seeking "mercenary" rewards; it hits the nail on the head for the vast majority of longings fro reward, and as such we, as Christians, feel guilty for pursuing reward. But, like Lewis said, when we pursue our endeavors with a Godly view of them, and remember that we should be doing all things for His glory, ultimately the reward comes in a form we weren't necessarily expecting. This is an exciting prospect to me. Thank you for your analysis!

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  2. I agree with you about when Lewis said we are so easily pleased. I was confused at first as well because we are never completely pleased. Give someone the chance to complain about something and most likely they will. On the other hand I see what Lewis was saying about that becuase a person can be perfectly content going to see a movie or going shopping. That pleasure feeling doesn't last long and it is then that we have to find some other earthly thing to give us pleasure. However, if we just turned to God and remembered heavenly things we would be content in that forever...or atleast we should be.

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