Thoughts for the Day

‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 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.”

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

So there I was years ago on my way to a place not far from Swindon, gaily driving down the M4 when I realised I missed the Swindon turn off and ended up near Slough! Have you ever driven down a motorway on a journey that you've done hundreds of times before only to find you've overshot your turning and now you've got to drive miles to the next exit, before you can turn round and go back to take the right road? No! Well a lot of us have! Very often our minds are on something else and we're not really committed to what we're supposed to be doing. It can be the same with our faith, as I fully admit!

Today's verses from Matthew's Gospel are often overlooked, perhaps because they are unpalatable. Perhaps we don't like this stern Jesus. But these verses remind me of the day I forgot to turn off at Swindon and almost reached Slough before I noticed what I'd done. I'd day-dreamed and ended up in the wrong place!

Jesus' words are hard to listen to, but we should give heed to them. He is saying that we may say the right words, we may repeat the prayers, we may go to church, but if we're not wholly committed to Jesus - heart, mind, and soul - then we're continuing on the wrong road; we're day-dreaming through life. Our words and our actions and our love for our Lord, all three are what matter. We won't be perfect, and we will make mistakes, but if our relationship with Him is deep, if we mean what we say, and if we try to live the life Jesus wants us to live, then we shall be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven and not turned away.

Lord Jesus Christ,
You reminded Your listeners
that it was not enough to pretend
commitment to You,
and that there was no place for those
who simply went along for the ride.
Show us how to grow closer to You;
to mean what we say in our prayers;
and to carry out this belief
in loving commitment to others.
Amen.