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Jumpstarter 9 of 10

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True Greatness  /  John Wesley  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 9
Wesley says every shilling needlessly spent on apparel is “in effect stolen from God and from the poor,” even calling expensive adornment “the blood of the poor,” illustrated by his Oxford story about wall pictures; what would it do to your spending if you took that logic literally, and where do you think modern Christians instinctively resist it (including arguments like “but I can afford it”)?
Another way to ask: If every extra dollar spent on fancy clothes is money taken from God and the poor, how would your spending change? Where do you feel yourself push back against that idea, even thinking, “But I can afford it”?

Direct Answer Taking Wesley’s logic literally would force major cuts to “needless” clothing expenses so that saved money could be used for the poor and good works, treating waste as moral theft. The transcript shows people resist this by calling it “Christian liberty” and especially by excusing themselves with “I can afford it,” which Wesley calls nonsense.

Support from Transcript:

  • Wesley says costly apparel reduces charity: “the more you spend on your own apparel, the less you have to clothe the naked… feed the hungry… relieve those who are sick and in prison.”
  • He draws the sharp conclusion: “every shilling which you needlessly spend… is in effect stolen from God and from the poor.”
  • He illustrates with Oxford: after buying pictures, he felt convicted—“Are not those pictures the blood of this poor maiden?”
  • He applies the same logic to clothing: expensive items are “the blood of the poor,” “tearing from the back of the naked… snatched from the mouth of the hungry.”
  • He attacks the main excuse: “But I can afford it… lay aside forever that idle nonsensical word. No Christian can afford to waste.”
Discussion Follow-ups How would your budget change if you treated “nice but unnecessary” upgrades as belonging to God for the poor—and what purchase would be hardest to label as theft?

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