Lord, Lord

I don't think I'd be wrong in assuming that a seasoned believer knows this passage in Scripture: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is 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 mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness,'" (Matthew 7:21-23). For the believer, this passage produces chills down their spine as perhaps they consider if they would be counted as one of these "Lord, Lord" pronouncers. And though much can be extrapolated in that text, for this article, my focus is found on another "Lord, Lord."

In Luke's account of the Sermon on the Mount, he emphasizes the "Lord, Lord" where Jesus talks about the men who venture out to build edifices upon two kinds of terrain— one on solid rock; the other on sinking sand. Jesus likens the man who hears and obeys His word as the wise builder on solid rock, while he who hears and disobeys, Christ likens him to one who builds on sinking sand and meets his bitter demise. But Jesus begins this portion of wisdom by saying this: "Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you" (Luke 6:46).

That is to say, there are certain people who call Our Lord, "Lord, Lord" and yet do not follow Our Lord's commands. Christ is kyrios and yet they do not obey Him as kyrios. The apostle Paul's epistles are seeping with language of a humbled man self identitied as a prisoner and slave (doulos) even though he had authority over many churches and even wrote (by inspiration of the Holy Spirit) a majority of the New Testament. And yet these nameless so-called disciples cannot even do what Jesus has commanded them to do. The sheer audacity. To think that one can tell Jesus, "No," which, if we are honest, often translates to, "I know better than you, therefore, I will do things my way," while simultaneously claiming Him as Lord.

But what strikes me more than the disobedience is that they had to have first heard the message before they could disregard it. That is to say, they were not ignorant of the truth, and willingly suppressed it with their actions (Romans 1:18). We do not sin out of ignorance; rather, we sin out of awareness. No one can say they didn't know what they were doing. No one can claim innocence.

A bit of self-reflection, then. How quick I am to hear God's Word and go against it. How quick I am to tell God either by word or deed that my way is better than His...all the while calling Him "Lord, Lord." I could go harsher on myself, if I'm honest, but the Gospel is too gracious to keep the sinner in a state of self-deprication. No. The Gospel raises the unworthy slave and transforms him into a son of God (Galatians 4:7).

What then is the remedy for this hypocrisy? The answer, beloved friend, is simple. We cannot claim ignorance; therefore, upon hearing Jesus' sweet words, obey it. Obey it! It's really that simple. No pretexts. No second guessing. Just obey. To know Jesus as Lord means to trust Him as that Lord. If Jesus truly is who He claims to be—gentle, lowly in heart, a Respite for anxious souls—then why should I not take His easy yoke, His light burden (Matthew 11:28-30)? Jesus is not a wicked master, but a loving One. He will not make us do something that would harm our weary souls. Rather, His tasks are life-producing and God-glorifying. If Jesus is truly our "Lord, Lord," and He is truly a good One, how then can I not trust and obey Him? Because when the days are dark, and when the floods arise, and when that devilish torrent comes crashing upon our foundation, we will not be shaken, we will not be broken, for we would have built our home well because we trusted and obeyed what Our Lord had commanded. Amen.

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