Nominis Iesu

Musings on The Return of the King, part II

Evil recognizes Good – Good does not have to announce itself.
In the movie, Aragorn and his companions are stopped by the oathbreakers in the paths of the dead. But in the book, he is never confronted or slowed until he stops and calls to the shadows that have been following him. He merely passes through, and the dead fall in behind. They know whom he is, for when he finally does call to them, he asks why they have come. They answer, to fulfill our oath and have peace. It is then that he confirms his identity and unveils that which was broken but had been remade.

When Aragorn looks into the Orthanc Stone, Sauron recognizes him. Aragorn, in fact, tells his friends later that Sauron saw him in different guise than they see him now. Sauron didn’t just see him and know who he was, he saw him as who he was. Though he stood before the stone as a ranger, Sauron saw him as the king.

So the power of who you are or who is in you is more important than your invoking the name of that power. In fact, there is no power at all in speaking name apart from the will of Him to whom it belongs. In the movie we sense arrogance, anger and resolve from Sauron. But in the book, his glimpse of Aragorn raises fear and questions.

God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out from them. Paul didn’t have to speak any names in order for people to be healed by coming into contact with his clothing. On the other hand, when folks tried to imitate it, they got clobbered. “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches”. The evil spirit answered, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Paul’s clothing was recognized by the evil spirits, these men were not known even when using Jesus’ name.
The use of Jesus’ name is a concept much deeper than we have come to practice. I’ve already mentioned in these cyber pages that I think we often take the Lord’s name in vain even in prayer. We can pray in the knowledge that our prayer can only be heard because of Jesus. If we pray in this humble way, we need not close with, “…for its in Jesus’ name.” We have already prayed in His name. God knows our hearts. If we pray in arrogance or greed, and close with those word’s, no magic spell is performed over our sin. If we pray out of God’s will, “in Jesus name” doesn’t make our will His own. In fact, “in Jesus’ name” implies that one agrees with Him, seeks His will.
Once again we’re confronted with the superficial that allows us to feel secure in our righteousness. We think that we can say that we are associated with something that we don’t even understand; like the itinerant Jewish exorcists. But we won’t be recognized as His. On the other hand, if we allow ourselves to be taken into Him; if we let Him live in us, He will be recognized as He was in Paul. God will do unusual miracles and Jesus will be glorified.