Two Bettys, Or Not Two Bettys

“Betty? Betty? Betty?”

A young woman stands up in the waiting room and begins to move toward the medical assistant holding the door open. I might not have taken much notice, except that almost at the same time, from just around a corner, came a woman with a walker, slowly making the same move.

The assistant noticed and said, “Betty?” Nods from both. Then the older woman said her last name, and the assistant gestured to her to follow and told the other “Betty” someone would be with her soon.

We all continued to wait in that room until another assistant came through the door. “Faith?” Betty #2 gets up and follows her in. Ah, the things we notice when we’re early to an appointment.

All of a sudden, I’m wondering about the story. Were they both Betty? Does Betty #2 have a rare disorder that causes her to hear letters wrong, like an auditory dyslexia? Was there some attempt to slide into an appointment early, or even a conspiracy to impersonate Betty #1 that was foiled at the last moment?

It’s fun to wonder. Probably an innocent and silly mistake. But it’s more fun to guess.

In Acts, there is a group of Jewish exorcists in Ephesus who noticed that Paul was having great success doing miracles when using the name of Jesus. I suppose they figured they could borrow a little of that mojo in their line of work and gave it a shot.

Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this. The evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul—but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded.

Acts 19:14-16 CSB

That story makes me giggle every time I read it. First, because that group sounds like an early ‘90s Christian metal band. (I did a little digging and found a group called Model Engine that was formerly Black Eyed Sceva in reference to this story. I also found a Hawaiian reggae group called the Seven Suns…though that likely has little to do with this story)

But the image of seven guys trying to borrow the power of Jesus using Paul’s name, only to get called out and beaten up, is a little funny. I think Luke included that side note in the story to highlight the genuineness in Paul’s ministry. Paul was doing great miracles in Jesus’ name, not using Jesus’ name.

In my version of what happened in that waiting room, Faith, a.k.a. Betty #2, seemed to be using the name of Betty to get into her appointment quicker. But that name wasn’t one she had a right to use. She hadn’t walked in Betty’s shoes, held her walker, or endured whatever struggles brought Betty to this waiting room on that day.

Paul had the right to call on Jesus’ name to do things he had no power to do. Paul, on the road to Damascus and a thousand times since, had surrendered to that name. In the letter he would later write to the church in this very city, he uses the phrase “in Christ” more than thirty times as he speaks about our identity and position.

I’m reminded that we,too have the right to call on Jesus’ name. We don’t cry out to Jesus as that guy our parents knew, or the pastor knew, or our friend who went to Bible college knew. As disciples and followers of Christ, we get to call on Him because we are “in Christ” as well.

The story also reminds me that I should be thoughtful when I do. Am I calling on Christ to use Him, or because I’m serving Him? Much of the bad reputation the church of Jesus has in the world today arises from those who use the name instead of serving the one to whom it belongs.

May the black eyes of the sons of Sceva and the embarrassment of Betty #2 remind us to be bold as we serve in the name of Jesus, but cautious when we try to use it for ourselves.