Are We There Yet?
Today's Lenten reflection adapted from the message of The Rev. Dr. Michael Battle of CREDO:
"On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name? 'Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.'" --Matthew 7: 22,23
The people of God (the church) are still on a long road trip to the Kingdom of God. We still get lost from time to time. Our GPS still needs Aristotle's sharp mind of telling us where not to go.
We learn from Jesus in today's passage from Matthew that the reign of God is not a matter of great religious experience -- unless it leads to concern for others. Simply doing religious things is not enough unless such religion integrates the individual and the community. The "I never knew you" is Jesus' way of saying that the community never benefited from "you." In other words, when we practice religion, let us practice it not for ourselves alone, but also for others. This kind of balanced spirituality with ethics helped to guard against the wandering charismatics who misled many in their apocalyptic ideologies. "Many will plead with me, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? Have we not exorcized demons by its power? Did we not do many miracles in your name as well?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Out of my sight, you evildoers!'"
Jesus is inviting us into a deeper truth. A Roman Catholic theologian, Michael Crosby, helps me explain in his book, The Spirituality of the Beatitudes. Crosby gives good advice that Jesus' three judgments ("I never knew you . . . Out of my sight . . . You evildoer . . . ") come whenever someone stresses deliverance from demonic possession only for an individual without wanting to address the demonic possession of the powers and principalities both within self and in violent institutions that structurally deny life and, therefore, God. As Christians, we have a duty to live out our Christian faith both as individuals and as members of our communities (in civil society and the church).
Let us pray,Be our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers both day and night; for the love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
"On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name? 'Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.'" --Matthew 7: 22,23
The people of God (the church) are still on a long road trip to the Kingdom of God. We still get lost from time to time. Our GPS still needs Aristotle's sharp mind of telling us where not to go.
We learn from Jesus in today's passage from Matthew that the reign of God is not a matter of great religious experience -- unless it leads to concern for others. Simply doing religious things is not enough unless such religion integrates the individual and the community. The "I never knew you" is Jesus' way of saying that the community never benefited from "you." In other words, when we practice religion, let us practice it not for ourselves alone, but also for others. This kind of balanced spirituality with ethics helped to guard against the wandering charismatics who misled many in their apocalyptic ideologies. "Many will plead with me, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? Have we not exorcized demons by its power? Did we not do many miracles in your name as well?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Out of my sight, you evildoers!'"
Jesus is inviting us into a deeper truth. A Roman Catholic theologian, Michael Crosby, helps me explain in his book, The Spirituality of the Beatitudes. Crosby gives good advice that Jesus' three judgments ("I never knew you . . . Out of my sight . . . You evildoer . . . ") come whenever someone stresses deliverance from demonic possession only for an individual without wanting to address the demonic possession of the powers and principalities both within self and in violent institutions that structurally deny life and, therefore, God. As Christians, we have a duty to live out our Christian faith both as individuals and as members of our communities (in civil society and the church).
Let us pray,Be our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers both day and night; for the love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
posted by Don+ @ 9:45 AM
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