Let the Record Reflect

I have seen in movies and on television—and have even noted while reading official court transcripts—that witnesses in a court of law are expected to respond to questions audibly. 

However, granted that many of the questions require only a Yes or a No answer, I’ve also noted a tendency for some witnesses to simply nod their head in the affirmative or shake their head in the negative. 

When that happens, the judge or the attorney doing the questioning may remind the witnesses that they must speak their response. But some witnesses seem to have trouble remembering that admonition. 

Rather than again reminding the witness, the judge or attorney may say something like: “Let the record reflect that the witness responded in the affirmative by a nod of the head.”

Now, for just a moment, let’s set aside our discussion about courtroom requirements. 

You may remember that a year or two ago I shared a story about a man of Indian birth who I described as being “culturally a Hindu, intellectually an agnostic and socially a servant to all.” 

I described how he liked to hang out with the members of my congregation—liked it so much, in fact, that he volunteered to every month procure the food, cook the food, serve the food, and clean up after the meal for some 30 men who turned up for the church’s monthly Men’s Ministries Supper. And that was just one of the many kind acts he did either for the congregation or the community at large.

A Flight of Fantasy

In a flight of fantasy after having written that story, I tried to imagine what it would be like to arrive in heaven immediately after the coming of Jesus. Following is the imaginary picture that came to mind.  

I’m newly arrived, having passed through the pearly gates and having received what I guess could be called basic orientation. Now I’m out just wandering around and familiarizing myself with my new surroundings. I see lots of other people milling around, chatting and hugging. And I’m looking to see if there’s anyone I recognize.

Suddenly, a long, long, long banquet table catches my attention. It looks like it’s in the process of being set up for what I assume will be the welcome-to-heaven banquet. I’m so intent on what I see that I initially fail to hear someone asking if I would move aside slightly so he could get past me. 

After the second request, I see out of the corner of my eye a heavily laden platter of food being carried to the table. I’m too distracted to pay much attention to the man carrying the platter—until, that is, the platter has been placed on the table and the man turns around. 

I gasp! It’s my “culturally a Hindu, intellectually an agnostic and socially a servant to all” Indian friend. I guess my gasp is loud enough that he hears me. Turning my way, his face breaks into an ear-to-ear grin.

“How did you get stuck transporting platters of food?” I ask him.

“Oh, I didn’t get stuck with this job,” he says, laughing. “I volunteered. As I was receiving the official welcome, I asked if they needed any volunteers. They asked what I like do. When I said I liked to do anything related to food preparation and presentation, the angel told me where to report. So here I am.

“But right now,” he continues, “I’d better get back to work. We can get together after this banquet is over.” And with that he darts off to wherever the food platters are being organized. 

Then Jesus Walks By

My head is spinning. So much so that when Jesus walks past, hugging adults and high-fiving kids, it takes me a moment to extricate myself from my reverie and reach out to him for a quick handshake before he slips past. 

“Who is the man I saw carrying that platter of food?” I quickly ask Jesus—even though I know full well who it is—because I’ve just talked to him. 

“You mean that Hindu agnostic who went to your church back on earth?” Jesus asks. 

“That’s the one,” I say. “His being here raises the question of why you let him in when you knew he might still be more Hindu than Christian. And as you’ve just acknowledged, he was a self-declared agnostic. Do you routinely admit such people into heaven—people who haven’t sworn allegiance to you as Lord and Savior?”

Jesus shakes his head, an exasperated expression on his face. “Haven’t you ever read Matthew 25?” He asks. “You know, the chapter in which I provide at least one set of criteria for who’s in, who’s out, and why?” 

“Well, sure,” I say, struggling to hide my surprise. “But I thought that was hyperbole—just a way of encouraging people to do good things for other people. I mean, the New Testament is crystal-clear that nobody is actually saved by good works. We have to believe and confess in words that you are our Savior and Lord.”

“Haven’t you ever heard the well-known expression that ‘actions speak louder than words?’” Jesus asks. “Well, I inspired that expression—though no Bible writer ever phrased it exactly that way. But the idea is there in many places.” 

“Like where?” I ask skeptically. 

“Well,” Jesus says, “Peter gets pretty close—but with a slightly different twist—when he admonishes us to ‘love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins’ (1 Peter 4).

“And when I say in my parable in Matthew 25 that ‘whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me,’ I’m sort of heading down that same track. And I mean exactly what I said.”

Can Work Our Way to Heaven?

“So do I hear you saying,” I ask, probably with a bit of smugness in my voice, “that some people will be in heaven because of their works, after all? I thought the apostle Paul made it rather clear in Romans 10 when he said: ‘If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.’ He didn’t say anything about any of us being able to work our way to heaven.”

Jesus seems to be thinking about how to answer. But when he says nothing, I forge on. “And Paul made it even clearer in Ephesians 2: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” 

“Do you remember the story of the thief on the cross?” Jesus asks. “He definitely said something. But he didn’t actually say the words ‘Jesus, I accept you as Lord and Savior.’ But I knew what he meant. It was a baby step, for sure. But he saw something in me that gave him hope. And he responded the best way he could as he hung there on that cross writhing in pain. And that was enough for me” (Luke 23).

Before I can respond, Jesus launches into another story. “Do you remember the story about that woman who poured all that expensive perfume on me? She didn’t make any grand pronouncements about why she was doing it. She just did it. She didn’t say, ‘I’m anointing you with this perfume because you are my my Lord and my God. But I knew what she meant” (Matthew 26).

I nod my head as I ponder the details of that encounter. 

Jesus continues: “Do you remember reading about that woman who was caught in the very act of adultery and was dragged unceremoniously before me early one morning. When I told her I didn’t condemn her, she didn’t declare me to be the Messiah. She just looked at me. But I knew the depth of commitment that her look conveyed. She saw me as her Savior, no doubt about it” (John 8).

Jesus Quotes St. Francis?

“Did you ever hear that famous quote from St. Francis of Assisi: ‘Preach the gospel always. And, if necessary, use words.’ Francis was my kind of guy. He understood that actions do indeed speak louder than words.”

It suddenly strikes me that I might be a bit out of line in trying to convince Jesus that some of the people he’s admitted to heaven don’t really belong there. I suddenly feel embarrassed. I’m trying to find the right words to assure him that I might need to broaden my perspective. But before I can come up with the perfect phraseology, he shares one more example.

“Remember how Peter advised the women who were my followers—but whose husbands weren’t—that they shouldn’t leave their unbelieving husbands just because they weren’t  believers. Rather, Peter said, they should just be the most kind, caring, loving wives possible so that their husbands might ‘be won over without words by the behavior of their wives’”(1 Peter 3).

When I don’t respond, Jesus continues: “There are speakers, and there are doers. And some people are good at both. The main thing is, whichever form of communication is right for you, just make sure you do it in a way that the message is loud and clear . . . 

“But right now,” Jesus says, “I need to check on how things are going with the preparations for our welcome-to-heaven banquet. But we’ll definitely discuss this matter again. Guaranteed. After all, we’ve got eternity to do it.” And with that he heads toward that long, long, long table that’s being loaded with food.

* * * *

Of course, this story never happened. It’s just a flight of fantasy. A wild rush of imagination. 

But having let my mind run wild does leave me wondering if maybe—just maybe—heaven’s legal documents might have a lot of entries that say: “Let the record reflect that this believer used actions rather than words when it came to demonstrating commitment—whether that commitment was to others, to love, to truth or to Jesus as Savior.”