The Morning Star: How One Man Brought the Gospel Out of the Dark Part 2 of 2

Summary: 

In 1384 Wycliffe published a tract called The Seven Deadly Sins. Among the sins John Wycliffe examines envy, anger, and sloth as they corrupt the three parts of the Church — priests, noblemen, and common laborers. He argues that envy destroys love and unity within the Church, that sinful anger (rooted in pride) leads men to war and violence in direct contradiction to Christ's law of patience and peace, and that sloth in God's service opens the door to every other vice. Notably, Wycliffe takes a bold pacifist stand, contending that warfare under the New Covenant is unlawful unless directly commanded by God, and that Christ's kingdom advances not through the sword but through love, suffering, and the faithful preaching of the Gospel.

Devotion: 

Wycliffe wrote these words more than six centuries ago, yet they cut with startling freshness against our own age. He saw clearly what we so easily forget — that envy blinds us, anger enslaves us, and idleness empties us of the very Spirit who would fill us. And underneath all three sins runs the same current: a failure of love. Wycliffe's remedy was not a program or a political movement, but a return to the plain teaching of Christ: love your enemies, preach the Gospel freely, suffer patiently, and trust God to win the battles we cannot. In a world that still glorifies the warrior and mocks the meek, the Morning Star calls us back to the same upside-down kingdom — where the cross, not the sword, is the instrument of true victory.

Key Takeaway: 

Wycliffe's timeless challenge to the Church is that envy, anger, and sloth are not merely personal failings but communal sins that fracture the Body of Christ — and the only cure is a return to love, faithful preaching, and the patient, peaceable way of Jesus. This message is as relevant today as it was in 1384! 

References:

The Seven Deadly Sins (excerpt)