“If there comes a year of poverty, many men will seek to enrich themselves by it and they show that it is a time even for their own benefit, and it is a thing too much used nowadays, as it has been at all times previously; and would God we could forget it. But we will see a number that lay in wait like scouts or spies, and if there comes a poor year, Oh, they say, this serves well to make me rich, when in very deed it is the time in which they should open their bowels to have compassion on such as are in necessity. We see that poor folk have much to do to maintain themselves though they are succoured, yes and such as previously have been able to live in their own houses without being pressed too much, are now driven to borrow. And why is that? They have their ordinary earnings as before, but corn and wine are at such excessive prices that they are not able to buy them. Every man shrinks away and holds himself short. And as for the rich man that has the means to live, his mind is on nothing else but how he may enrich himself. Oh, he says, this is a fat year for me, for it is a lean year for all others. Alas here is a wretched regard. So then let us learn that our Lord’s meaning by this law is not that we should forbear to relieve such as are, as you would say, wind shaken already, but that if we see a man who has much ado to maintain himself, we should not run on him to overthrow him altogether. And how? If I see a man a little behind his finances and I have a mind to some corn ground or vineyard of his, see he is in fit case for my purpose, and if I take advantage of him, he is undone by it and it is impossible for him to escape utter ruin. And when a man, having that regard to self profit, endeavors to catch away the poor man’s possessions, surely although there was no Law of God at all, yet does even natural equity condemn it. But here our Lord shows us his will, which is that whenever we see any man distressed, we should spare him so much the more, until he has some means to recover himself again, and that we should not lay in wait to catch from him at every occasion that is offered to further the matter, but rather that we should use such uprightness as to say, If I bear with him he will pay me one time or other, I see he is willing enough, I see he would pay me my own and does as much for me if he was not over pressed otherwise, and seeing I know him to be such a one, will I now set on him with severity? That would even be as much as though I would sever his hamstrings so that he might be able to go no further. See he is scarcely able to draw his legs after him, and therefore if I should fall to cutting of his sinews apart, and so knock him down altogether, if he is utterly overthrown for lack of lending him my helping hand at his need, am I not the cause of it? Will not his poverty cry out for vengeance against me to God?”~ Calvin For the complete sermon see: reformationsocietyphilippines.org/2014/12/22/john-calvins-sermon-on-deut-15-1-6/
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 22:38:18 +0000
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