Matt 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
What we have here are Christians presenting their resumes. It can be no one else. Prophecy in His name, exorcisms in His name, many wonders in His name. I don't think the "many" would be capable of lying at this point. I think they really did these things, and did them while employing His name.
But it's interesting that "Lord, Lord" can be apart from the will of the Father. It is interesting that works and wonders in the name of Jesus are set in contrast to the will of the Father. It's interesting that the allegation of lawlessness would be made against a record of ministerial achievements. It's interesting that the works and wonders could be so effective and visible if Jesus can claim He never knew the practitioner.
It is interesting, the word "we". It does not appear that they are in single file. As a group, they present their case. Contrast them to another group which was asked for an account.
Matt 25:37-39 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
Group number one knew exactly what they were presenting. They put a value on their work from the very beginning, and committed it to memory. Group number two seems ignorant or else downright forgetful.
Consider the separation of one kind of work from another, things forgotten and things remembered. It often happens that someone will thank us for something we said or did, and we have no memory of it. It was just an offhand remark, or a practical act of kindness, just a gesture. But it might have meant everything. Nevertheless, the thing we remember best are our own conspicuously religious words and deeds. These are also the things that we use for our defense and justification.
The Lord is forgetting the conspicuous things which we remember, and gathering up the hidden things which we have forgotten.
Maybe I listened to a brother in the Sunday gathering for 52 weeks in a row for ten years, but can only give a hazy account of his eloquence. But then there was this one time in the car where he made a thoroughly secular remark that will edify the rest of my days. Which will stand in the coming age?
What if the Lord forgets our prophecies, exorcisms, and wonders (Matt:7)? What if He instead remembers the food, drink, bed, clothes, remedies, and visits (Matt:25)?
What if the Lords forgets the sermons and remembers the potlucks? What if He forgets the pageants and remembers the campfire sing-alongs? What if He forgets Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God and remembers Rack, Shack, and Benny?
What if he plucks out the right eye of theological discernment, and cuts off the right hand of ministerial achievement so that the rest can enter in?
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