Sunday Musings: The Tongues of Men & Angels

This is an excerpt from my devotional - The Fruits of the Spirit: Love

1 Corinthians 13:1

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

When the seven sons of Sceva saw the miracles that Paul performed in the name of Jesus Christ, they decided to do it too.

The problem is that they hadn’t accepted Jesus Christ as the Messiah. So when they attempted to call out demons from a man and used the name of Jesus, the demon said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?” (Acts 19:13-16) And then the demon attacked all of them so that they fled naked and wounded.

Yeah, the demon managed to rip their clothes off as well as beat them up pretty bad.

These men didn’t know Jesus. They wanted the power that Paul had, but they were doing it for the wrong reasons. Paul did what he did out of love. These men were doing it for notoriety.

It’s a heady thing this power. It’s easy to succumb to. You can start out with the best of intentions and then the power, money, and fame get to you. People tell you how wonderful you are, and soon, the things you did out of love, you do for other reasons where love no longer enters in. You begin to believe that the power is yours, not God’s. The more successful you are, the more money you need to support the success, and the more you ask for the money, wrapping it up in devotion paper and tying it with a love bow. But the gift itself is empty because it doesn’t contain love – it contains greed.

Greed is empty. It’s a black hole you feed that sucks everything in and demands more, never satisfied. Greed always needs more money, more fame, more power, more, more, more.

My favourite scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is when Veruca Salt sings, “I Want It Now!” She’s a spoiled brat. She’s rich. She gets whatever she desires. She’s learned to have tantrums if she doesn’t get what she wants. She calls all the shots. Mommy and Daddy give in to her to keep the peace. People obey her out of fear for their jobs. But no matter what she gets, it’s never, ever enough. She’s not likeable and is annoying and tiring. Her own parents don’t like her. There’s no love coming from Veruca because she was taught love was about getting what she wants. Veruca falls down the egg chute, rejected as a bad egg. She doesn’t win the big prize. I always thought it would be a fun role to play, but it’s certainly not the way anyone should behave in real life.

But at least Veruca Salt was honest about who she was. No one was fooled by her. It was plain to see that she was not pretending to love anyone other than herself. The Veruca Salts of the world can turn into decent people when they learn what love is and when they kick their greed addiction.

On the other hand, have you ever watched a televangelist on TV and just knew that he was not speaking from God?

Sure, he may be saying the right words. He looks polished in his thousand-dollar suit and expensive, shiny shoes. He’s well-coifed and manicured. He has a beautiful stage and professional technicians. The singers sing well, and the audience is hanging onto every word. He uses the bible, maybe even holds it up. The words from the bible are put on a screen so you can read along. He’s fiery and emotional. He knows how to get the people on their feet, calling out “Amen!” He walks around, hitting people in the head, proclaiming healing. He has people falling in the aisles, shouting that they’ve been healed.

Or maybe he’s the type of preacher who shows up with holes in his jeans and a graphic t-shirt with the word Jesus on it, proclaiming how wicked he was and how Jesus healed him. He plays the “I’m every regular guy” routine in a fiery emotional yell and walks around, hitting people on the head, proclaiming healing.

But you can tell that it’s all performance.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with performing, as long as everyone knows you’re performing. Just like I always knew that the actress playing Veruca Salt wasn’t really Veruca Salt, so I could enjoy her performance and she could enjoy doing it.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with preaching and healing as long as you have the love of God. That’s a good thing.

But some of these televangelists have no love of God. They love the money, the fame, and the power that their position brings – especially the money.

You can see it in their eyes. Some of them may even look demonic. You can hear it when they preach and twist the scriptures for their benefit.

Sure, we can have disagreements about what the scriptures say. Not everyone who preaches is correct all the time, and we all make mistakes. Interpretation of the scriptures is very personal. I think God would rather have a preacher preach imperfectly than not preach at all.

But that’s different from deliberately leading people astray.

I’m not saying that every preacher on TV is a fake. But I am saying that we need to be careful. We need to check where the money that he’s asking for is spent. Is it really going to the needy, the homeless, the children’s aid, the women’s shelter, the expenses of running a church, or to spreading the gospel?

Or is it going to his multi-million dollar home and his private jets? And do you really want to pay for someone else’s private jet and thirty-two-room mansion - especially when you can’t cover the rent on your one-bedroom apartment?

He has the right words and speaks with the tongues of angels.

But does he truly have the love of God?

Jesus warned us about these people.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day Lord, Lord, have I not prophesied in they name? and in they name have cast out devils? And in they name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them I never knew you; depart from me, ye work iniquity. – Matthew 7:21-23

Wherefore the Lord said, “Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men. – Isaiah 29:13

Where is your heart?