Have you ever done something in someone else's name? Perhaps you've held power of attorney for someone. If you're a parent maybe you've signed official documents for a minor. Maybe you've forged love notes to Roxanne on behalf of your more attractive but less eloquent competition.
Has anyone ever done anything in your name? In cases of identity fraud, such an event can be disruptive and disastrous. Even in situations where we willingly hand this authority to someone, we know we are taking a risk with our reputation and possibly our livelihood.
Yet Jesus trusts us to beseech God in his name. In John 16 he tells the disciples anything they ask in his name will be granted. Some people interpret this as a magical formula, like children who think tacking "please" onto a request means it will automatically be fulfilled. It ends up on the end of every quick prayer for an open parking space.
The privilege of asking for something in Jesus' name is an honor we must treat with dignity. None of us would want someone to throw our name around in demeaning or disrespectful ways. When we use Jesus' name it should never be tacked on as an afterthought; rather, we should have already considered whether what we about to ask is worthy of the honor.
That goes double for any claims we make about acting in Jesus' name. It's tempting to invoke Jesus in unexamined support of our own behaviors and biases, so we need to be cautious about attaching his name to them. We should be particularly wary of using his name to condemn or exclude – would you be comfortable accounting to him personally for someone you rejected in his name? The gift he makes of his name to us is a responsibility to use wisely, not a blank check.
Jesus wants us to approach God in his name. He trusts us to understand that means representing him in thought and deed. How much would you have to love and trust someone to allow them to speak to God in your name? That's how much Jesus loves you.
Evening reading: Psalms 99; 8
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