Wisdom from Thomas a Kempis’ Imitation of Christ

Last updated on: December 4, 2017 at 3:56 pm by Mark Craymor

Wisdom from Thomas a Kempis’ Imitation of Christ 2017-12-04T15:56:28+00:00 Mark Craymor

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Below is most of the first chapter from Thomas à Kempis’ Imitation of Christ, a classic book in Christian spirituality. My favorite line is this: “Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ.” We cannot really know Jesus unless our life takes the shape of the life of Christ.

“Imitating Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth

‘He who follows Me, walks not in darkness,’ says the Lord. John 8:12. By these words of Christ we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ.

The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ.

What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone.

This is the greatest wisdom—to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world [things in this life that are set up against God]. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to court honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment later must come. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.”

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