Von der Weltliebe. Die Welt steht auf Säulen
The Heart as a Dwelling
The world finds its footing in the human heart through our love, and we must withdraw that love to detach ourselves from worldly vanity.
Do you know where? In your heart. For what do you want to look for outside yourself, when you yourself are nothing but a little world full of the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and a proud life? 1 John. 2:16. Your love is the pillar on which the world finds its rest in the heart. In love, you find the world like an image in a mirror. Withdraw love from the world, and it no longer has any firm footing in the heart.
Cleansing the Temple
We are called to drive out worldly desires from the temple of our hearts and offer our love to Jesus, who alone gives life.
Ah, what business do buyers and sellers have in God's temple?✦ John. 2:15.✦ Whip them out.✦ In your thoughts of the world and of money, you often sell blessedness for a handful of honor, money, and base lust.1 Give Jesus your love—he has earned it from you better than the world has. She takes; he gives. She saddens; he gladdens. She kills; he makes alive.✦2 If you love Jesus, Jesus rests in your heart.
The Longing of the Savior
Jesus eagerly knocks at the door of the heart, desiring to dwell within us more than we can imagine.
Where Jesus is, there heaven must be. Ah, Jesus is nowhere more gladly present than in my heart.3 How eagerly he longs for it! More eagerly than the hungry for a little piece of bread. How anxiously he yearns within his servants!4 How he pleads, how he knocks without ceasing, that I would open to him! Be gone, world—Jesus shall have my heart. Come, my sweet Jesus!
A Heaven on Earth
The believer surrenders all to Jesus, inviting Him to make the heart His heaven on earth.
Take everything I have for your delight; my heart will become your heaven on earth.5 Jesus, how could you be anywhere else?
Read the original Latin
Weißt du wo? In deinem Herzen. Denn was willst du außer dir suchen, da du selbst nichts anders bist als eine kleine Welt voll Augenlust Fleischeslust und hoffärtiges Leben? 1 Joh. 2, 16. Deine Liebe ist die Säule, darauf die Welt ihre Ruhe findet im Herzen. In der Liebe findest du die Welt als ein Bild im Spiegel. Entzeuch der Welt die Liebe, so hat sie keinen festen Grund mehr im Herzen.
Ach was sollen die Käufer und Verkäufer im Tempel Gottes thun? Ioh. 2, 15. Peitsche sie hinaus. In deinen Welt- und Geld - Gedanken verkaufst du oft die Seligkeit um eine Hand voll Ehre Geldes und schnöder Wollust. Gib Jesu deine Liebe, der hat sie besser um dich verdient als die Welt. Sie nimmt, er gibt; sie betrübt, er erfreut; sie tödtet, er macht lebendig. Liebst du Jesum, so ruht Jesus in deinem Herzen.
Wo Jesus ist, da muß der Himmel sein. Ach Jesus ist doch nirgends lieber als in meinem Herzen. Wie begierig ist er darnach! begieriger als die hungrigen nach einem Stücklein Brots. Wie ängstet er sich in seinen Dienern! wie fleht, wie klopft er ohn Unterlaß, daß ichs ihm öffne! Hinaus Welt, Jesus soll mein Herze haben. Komm mein süßer Jesu!
Nimm alles und jedes was mein zu deiner Belustigung ein; mein Herze soll werden dein Himmel auf Erden;
Iesu wie kannst du denn anderswo sein?
Scripture echoes
- ↩John.2.15 — And having made a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple—the sheep and the oxen—and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.
- ↩John.2.15 — And having made a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple—the sheep and the oxen—and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.
- ↩John.2.15 — And having made a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple—the sheep and the oxen—and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.
- ↩1Sam.2.6;Deut.32.39 — The LORD puts to death and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. Deut.32.39 — See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life; I have wounded and I heal, and there is no one who can deliver from my hand.
Notes
- 1 ↩Seligkeit rendered as 'blessedness' (eternal well-being/salvation). Ehre Geldes und schnöder Wollust taken as three objects of the handful: honor, money, and base lust.
- 2 ↩Sie/er contrast the world (feminine die Welt) with Jesus; pronouns kept as she/he to preserve the source's personified opposition.
- 3 ↩Early modern 'nirgends lieber' means preferred presence (gladlier/more willingly), not comparative affection alone; rendered as gladly present.
- 4 ↩'sich ängsten in' can mean anxious fretting or yearning distress; spiritual context favors eager, anxious yearning of Christ in/through his servants.
- 5 ↩Belustigung rendered as 'delight' (Christ's pleasure/enjoyment), not light amusement; older devotional German.
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