The Walk
Reflections on the talk, the walk, and salvation based on today's readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062526.cfm
Once again, the words of the Lord today are among the most challenging of all His teachings. He tells the disciples that not all who say, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Instead, He says that only those who hear the Word of God and act on it will enter.
In other words, we cannot just “talk the talk” of faith; we must also “walk the walk.” Yet both of these expressions often leave people confused.
Walking the walk is not simply about performing certain deeds but about having a certain disposition of heart. To give alms in a way that is self-serving is still only a form of talking the talk. The distinction is not so much about words and actions as it is about how well the interior of one’s life matches the exterior.
To be sure, talking the talk still has its value. It would be difficult to be externally opposed to the faith and then practice it sincerely. Also, singing the praises of the Lord is incredibly effective in helping us love Him more—it reminds us of His goodness, even (or especially) when it is most difficult to remember.
However, Christ makes it clear that there are some who talk the talk not so that it can help them walk the walk, but simply so that others will think they believe these things. It is a form of image management. They want to appear to be Christians more than they want to be Christians.
It is usually difficult, if not impossible, to discern the sincerity of another’s faith, though there always have been some to whom the Lord has granted extraordinary gifts of discernment. As a rule, discerning the sincerity of faith usually occurs within one’s own conscience regarding oneself.
Yet there are cases when insincerity becomes glaringly obvious. Many times, those who have a superficial faith fail to recognize its superficiality. Part of the tragedy of those who are pathologically superficial is that they are often unaware of their shallowness because they are ignorant of the depth of the human soul. Only love can draw a person out of such a state, yet that very state can make it difficult to recognize and receive genuine love.
These souls, who can become stuck in a state of superficiality while talking the talk of the faith, are often troublingly effective at pushing others away from the faith. They can give the impression that faith is about nothing more than appeasing one’s ego, which is, ironically, closer to the opposite of the essence of the faith.
There are also cases in which certain souls have been given extraordinary insight into the souls of others. It has always been the case that certain holy men and women have been able to discern with remarkable clarity and insight. They see into things; they see into others. Having become so united to He who is Truth, they gain an otherworldly ability to recognize truth and falsehood, even when they are most disguised.
If we are ever so fortunate as to meet such a soul, we would be wise to receive the guidance offered. Unfortunately, as the history of the prophets and saints shows, when these souls reveal insights that pierce the heart, the reaction is often to ignore or reject them rather than embrace them and repent.
Although this happens through certain men and women, it is also at the heart of the life and death of Christ. He knew what was in the heart of man, and He revealed it. Many rejected Him for it.
But as our reading closes today, we are told that Christ taught with authority, not like the scribes. The truth He came to share—the truth that He is—cannot be destroyed. It is eternal. The same truth that man so often seeks to reject when confronted by it is the very truth by which he will be judged.
Perhaps this is the best practical way to understand the distinction between those who say, “Lord, Lord,” and those who hear His word and follow it. When confronted with truth—the deepest truths of the soul—do we embrace it and repent, or do we defend ourselves and reject it?
We must take this question seriously. Its answer bears eternal significance.