Being instead of appearances
Series: Metamorphosis | Bible text: Matthew 7:21–23
Knowing God is the most important thing. My lip service and even miracles in the name of God are insignificant if I do not know God. Knowing God means that I put all my trust in him. This trust is called faith. By being rooted on a good foundation – Jesus Christ – good deeds can come about. Faith and being rooted is shown in the fact that my life is driven by love.
I lived in Bern for almost four years. Often when I had visitors who were not from Bern, I took them for a walk in the city. I showed them the Bundeshaus, the Aare, the Bärengraben and the Bern Cathedral. The Bern Cathedral interested me not necessarily because of the tower and the beautiful view, but rather because of a painting on the portal of the cathedral. Bern was Roman Catholic until the Reformation around 1530, as was the case in many places in Europe. In the course of the Reformation, many pictures and sculptures in churches in Switzerland were rigorously dealt with. The so-called iconoclasm led to Protestant Reformed churches looking rather bare. Apart from a few stained glass windows, there is often not much left. Bern Cathedral was also affected by the iconoclasm. Many things were removed, but the picture above the entrance remained. They adapted it a little, but it can still be seen practically in its original form.
This depicts the so-called Last Judgement. The day when Jesus will hold judgement and people will be sent either to heaven or hell. If you look closely, you can see a pope under the golden canopy on the heavenly side. You can recognise him by his hat. But why did the iconoclasts hang this picture? The answer lies on the infernal side of the picture. Here you can see a person from behind who is being held upside down in the fire. This person also has a pope’s hat on. That is why this picture was not destroyed. On both sides with the elect, but also on the hell side, all occupational groups and social classes can be found. No matter whether peasant, craftsman, clergyman, ruler, even pope. The same people are found everywhere. This picture underlines the fact that no one goes to heaven only because of his profession or membership of a certain social group. But how does one get to the side of God? Jesus Christ also speaks of this in the Sermon on the Mount. «Not all people who act pious believe in God. Even if they say Lord to me, that does not mean that they will enter the kingdom of heaven. What matters is whether they obey my Father in heaven. On the day of judgement, many will come to me and say: «Lord, Lord, we have prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles». But I will answer them: «I never knew you. Away with you. You do not live according to God’s commandment» » (Matthew 7:21–23 NLB).
Know God
Knowing God is the key term for understanding this statement by Jesus Christ. In Greek, the verb ginosko is used here. The meaning of this verb is very broad. But it means as much as to know, to recognise, to understand, to experience, to notice, to know. It includes knowing as a person. This knowing is not merely superficial, as I know someone’s name, for example. No, it goes much deeper and includes knowledge based on experience. When Jesus knows a person, it means that he knows everything. It means that there is great intimacy and relationship. This intimacy is so strong that the same Greek word can also be used to describe sexual intercourse. This intimacy drops all the layers. When Jesus knows a man, he literally stands naked before him. This is because man can offer nothing, but also because he gives everything to God. This intimacy with God becomes an important part of identity. People who have opened themselves to Jesus, who say they want to obey him and follow him, who have entered into a personal relationship with him, such people do not base their identity on material things. Rather, their identity is based in being. In being a daughter or son of Jesus Christ.
Jesus» statement is not simply addressed to all people. Rather, it is explicitly addressed to those people who claim to be followers of him. It includes all those who call themselves Christians – followers of Jesus Christ. In last Sunday’s sermon, Matthias Altwegg spoke of the narrow and the broad way. However, this narrow way does not run separately from the broad way, but in the middle of the broad way. Thus, followers of Jesus Christ are on the road together with other people. But the difference lies in their identity. This lies in knowing God. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeatedly makes it clear that this knowledge is not distant, but intimate. It corresponds to the relationship of a child to its parents. A child is aware of its being a child. It knows that it is loved and that its parents take good care of it and care for the child. This is exactly how we are to know God.
Appearance instead of reality
Being a true child of God does not lie in the accomplishment of certain things. That someone performs miracles in the name of God does not mean that the miracle worker is a child of God. If demons are cast out by the power of God, it does not mean that the person knows Jesus. Even if someone makes correct prophecies about the future, this is not automatically his ticket to heaven. All these things can equally be more appearance than reality. Often we are also in danger of saying that if God does a miracle, in whatever way, then many people will believe in Jesus. Then appearance becomes being. But as a rule this is not so. People can have a great miracle, but they still don’t want to get to know Jesus.
Jesus» statement is challenging. On the one hand, it is not enough to leave discipleship to mere lip service. On the other hand, deeds are not enough either. The right way can best be described as follows. «But it is not enough to listen to the message – you must also act on it! Otherwise you are only deceiving yourselves». (James 1:22 NLB). Therefore «meight the kingdom of God as your primary concern, live in God’s righteousness, and he will give you all that you need.» (Matthew 6:33). The followers addressed by Jesus here, who call him Lord, perform miracles, cast out demons and speak prophetically, may appear to be doing the right thing, but in reality they are motivated by selfish motives. But, although the motives are selfish, this does not diminish the power of God. God can still use such miracles, demon casts and prophecies so that He Himself is honoured. The power of God is independent of man. All these things happen primarily because they happen in the name of God.
If one’s own fame is the driving reason, then a follower of Jesus is more of a pretend Christian than living a Christian existence. The thing that separates appearance from reality is the motive of love. The apostle Paul could not say it more aptly in his letter to the Corinthians. Paul writes this letter to a congregation in which people outbid each other to show others how spiritually, how exemplary they live their faith. But Paul counters skilfully. «If I could speak in the tongues of the world or with the tongues of angels, but had no love, my speaking would only be senseless noise like a booming gong or a ringing bell. If I had the gift of prophecy and knew all mysteries and had every knowledge, and if I had faith that could move mountains but had no love, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I had to the poor and even sacrificed my body to be honoured, but had no love, everything would be worthless. Love is patient and kind. It is not envious or arrogant, proud or offensive. Love is not selfish. It does not allow itself to be provoked, and if one does evil to it, it does not bear it back. It never rejoices in injustice, but always rejoices in the truth. Love endures everything, never loses faith, always keeps hope and perseveres no matter what happens. Love will never cease, even when prophecy, speaking in unknown tongues and knowledge will pass away.» (1 Corinthians 3:1–8). What matters is being in love and not the appearance of Christ.
A firm foundation
How do we get our lives to be being instead of appearing? It is about really KNOWING Jesus. It challenges us to fundamentally rethink our discipleship. «We have been told that the only requirement is a one-time decision or even just intellectual assent to Jesus. After that, we would not have to worry any further about his commandments, his standards or his honour. We have the ticket to heaven and can live here on earth as we wish» (David Platt). The Sermon on the Mount is about more than just following and applying certain patterns of behaviour. The message of the Sermon on the Mount challenges one to let one’s character and ideas change. It is about rooting one’s identity in Jesus. This rooting is shown in knowing God. It also involves being aware that knowing God is a pure gift. This is also called grace. What we can do to do this is to believe in Jesus Christ, to put his will above our own and to trust that he means well with me. Obeying God has a lot to do with trust. When we trust God, external things become insignificant. Then it doesn’t matter what profession, origin or gender you have. The crucial thing is to trust God. «For if we put our trust in Christ Jesus, God does not ask whether we are circumcised or uncircumcised. What is decisive is faith, which shows itself in love». (Galatians 5:6 NLB). Faith is a trust in Jesus Christ, who in turn shows himself in love. This love is not passive or inactive, it is sacrificial and interested, intercedes for the poorest. This love for one another is the distinguishing mark of people who walk with Jesus (John 13:35). This does not mean that there are no more moments of unkindness. Nor does it mean that love is understood in this way by everyone, especially when love is understood only as a yes but not also as a no.
So the question for each individual is whether the motives on which one’s own house of life stands make a good foundation. I am deeply convinced that Jesus Christ is a foundation that lasts. It is up to each individual to decide how to build on this foundation. «For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid – Jesus Christ. Whoever builds on this foundation can use gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw. On the day of judgement, the work of each individual will have to prove itself in the fire. The fire will show the quality of the building. If it withstands the fire, the one who built it will receive reward. But if his work burns, he will suffer a painful loss. He himself will be saved, but only as one who escapes a fire with difficulty». (1 Corinthians 3:11–15 NLB). The people addressed by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount may have a good building to show for it, but the foundation is not there. The crucial thing is the foundation – knowing Jesus Christ. We are challenged anew every day to trust in this foundation and to stay on the ball with Jesus. Out of this perseverance, good fruit can come forth. «I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him will bear much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5 NLB). The crucial thing is not lip service or bearing fruit, but being rooted in a foundation that endures – Jesus Christ.
Possible questions for the small group
Read Bible text: Matthew 7:21–23
- What does the statement in this Bible passage do to you?
- How would you describe your «knowing God»?
- How do you personally deal with the fact that people do great things in the power of God, but their lives are not a testimony?
- What are your motives of discipleship?
- What prevents you from trusting God fully?
