Thursday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time (Year II)
2 Kings 24:8-17 | Psalm 78:1-5,8-9 | Matthew 7:21-29
When the day comes many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?” Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men! (Matthew 7:22-23)
Wait, what? How can Jesus disavow people who do great deeds in His name on the Day of Judgement? That’s neither right nor just…right?
I think this exposes a rather large blind spot for many of us Christians. We’re so used to associating God with miracles and exorcisms, we forget that there’s at least one other being who can perform deeds on a level that we humans would find incomprehensible and therefore miraculous: Satan, the Great Tempter.
Can the Devil inspire people with visions of the future? Probably. Even hallucinogenic drugs can do so, and as the adage goes, “a stopped clock is right twice a day”. Make enough predictions, and you’ll eventually get one right and be hailed as a “prophet”.
Can he control demons? Of course. If he couldn’t, one of his underlings would’ve usurped his position long ago.
Can he work wonders? Certainly, if you’re not picky about what sort of wonders you’re looking for, and for whose benefit. “JACKPOT! YES! MINE! ALL MINE!”
Now the above passage starts to make sense. When we see others work marvels “in the name of the Lord”, we need to ask ourselves: Which Lord is being invoked, the Lord of Light and of Love…or the Lord of Darkness and Deception? If it’s the latter, then Christ’s rejection of them is truly right and just.
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But how do we mortals tell the difference, when both sides go “Lord, Lord”?
This actually ties in to what I wrote yesterday: righteous miracle workers set themselves aside to serve their brethren to the glory of God. Humility, compassion, joy, peace; these are just some of the characteristic fruits of the Holy Spirit that will point you in the right direction.
If, instead, you notice signs of self-indulgence, pride, tempestuousness and other unpleasant facets, run away. Consciously or otherwise, they’re calling on the Dark Lord to work delayed tragedies. Associating with such folks won’t end well.
Holy Spirit, open our eyes to the wiles of the Evil One and his servants, so that we do not fall prey to their false wonders and be led away from God. Amen.