078 - Can we call someone or be called by some honorific title?

Can we call someone or be called by some honorific title?

 

·       “But you may not be named Teacher: for one is your teacher, and you are all brothers. And give no man the name of father on earth: because one is your Father, who is in heaven. And you may not be named guides: because one is your Guide, even Christ.” (Mat 23:8-10).

 

In order to understand this excerpt, we need to analyze the context and concept of the words mentioned.

 

*First: Master* (or Teacher, depending on the version). Master is someone to be followed, imitated in virtue of his experience, wisdom, ken, virtues. For the sake of this, a master ends up being a target of attention.

 

The problem, here, is that the Pharisees craved for being the center of all attention of Israel’s people:

 

·       Mat 23:5 -> “But all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,”.

 

As we know, only Jesus merits all this attention. Although the fame is coveted by all artists, can you be sure: it is a heavy yoke to engross people’s attention. This steals the freedom. Not to mention that, this implies in great responsibility:

 

·       “Be not many of you teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive heavier judgment.” (Jas 3:1)

 

And no wonder. After all, imagine that someone stumbles or makes someone stumble in the faith in virtue of the bad testimony of the master or for their wrong teachings.

 

Jesus is clear:

 

·       Luk 12:47-48 -> “And that servant, who knew his lord's will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes; but he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more.”

·       Mat 18:6,7 -> “But whoever shall offend one of these little ones who believes in Me, it would be better for him that an ass's millstone were hung around his neck, and he be sunk in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For it is necessary that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!”.

 

Although those who seeks the office of bishop desires a good work (1Tim 3:1), the question is: are the masters prepared spiritually for this? Can the masters bear the charge and privileges of their office without corrupting themselves? Paul, the greatest apostle of Christ had to receive a thorn in his flesh after receiving a great revelation so that he didn’t become proud (2Cor 12:1-10).

 

So, when a man struggles against his own flesh in order to be more receptive to the operation of the Holy Spirit and be an inspiration for those around him and these one, seeing Jesus’ wisdom and love in his life, decide to imitate him, this is a blessing..

 

And what about us? Is our life worthy of being followed? Can we say what Paul said: “Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (1Co 11:1)? Is our life a continuous manifestation of Jesus Christ in everything we do?

 

*Second: Father* - Father implies in someone that have honor, preeminence. As we know, there is the following commandment:

 

·       “Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee.” (Exo 20:12).

 

The Pharisees pined for all this honor:

 

Mat 23:6-7 -> “and love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called of men, Rabbi.”

 

Notwithstanding, they didn’t care for Israelites as if they were their children.

 

This responsibility demands very much. So much so that Jesus choosed only twelve apostles. If He that is perfect and full of ken, love, patience, etc., only was able to care for twelve apostles, who are us to think that we can care for more than this?

 

And the worst is that there are many religious leaders that look forward to control a religious institution with more and more believers. Nonetheless, this didn’t work not even with the apostles:

 

Acts 6:1 -> “Now in these days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.”.

 

It isn’t in vain that Jesus said:

 

·       “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Mat 18:20).

 

The idea is that we live exactly what it is said below:

 

·       “And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need.” (Act 2:44,45).

 

That is to say: every person needs to cope with those who approaches. The benevolence isn’t to be done for only one person, while the others stay living by themselves. No! Each person is enjoined to love the neighbor as Jesus loved them (John 13:34-35).

 

So, don’t call anybody “father” because this will be a heavy charge on their shoulders. This can make them to fall in the faith in virtue of the pride and of excess of responsibility (see what happened to Moses – Ex 18:14-18; Nm 11:12-15) and, thereby, this can make you stumble or even die in the faith.

 

And the worst is that many religious leaders demands of their congregation such exaltation.

 

When someone bring forth children (either physical or spiritual), they do thus because they desire to bestow to them what is best so that they can fulfill Jesus’ mission; and the children, in turn, ought to honor their parents receiving from them all these boons and conveying to the next offspring the concepts and values of Christ in the life of the parents.

 

So, the problem isn’t the title of “father”, but how this title is used for both: who calls and who receives this title.

 

*Third: Guide* - Guide is the one who establish rules, who dominates.

 

The Pharisees longed for this title because they ached for having dominion over Jesus’ inheritance. See this part of the parable of the vinedressers:

 

·       Mat 21:37-39 -> “But last of all he sent his son to them, saying, They will respect my son. But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and get hold of his inheritance. And taking him, they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.”.

 

They craved for occupying the Creator’s place in people’s life. And this only to make their name great before everybody to the expenses of Israelites’ sacrifices:

 

·       Mat 23:4 -> “Yea, they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.”.

·       Gal 6:13 -> “For they themselves, having been circumcised, do not even keep the Law, but they desire you to be circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.”.

 

But this isn’t everything. They, by and by, changed the Creator’s law by their own traditions which were suitable for them:

 

·       “But He answered and said to them, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?” (Mat 15:3).

 

And the worst is that, until today, the religious leaders turn down Jesus’ instructions for His disciples:

 

·       Mat 20:25-28 -> “But Jesus called them and said, You know that the rulers of the nations exercise dominion over them, and they who are great exercise authority over them. However, it shall not be so among you. But whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be chief among you, let him be your servant; even as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

·       1Pe 5:1-3 -> “I exhort the elders who are among you, I being also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of God among you, taking the oversight, not by compulsion, but willingly; nor for base gain, but readily; nor as lording it over those allotted to you by God, but becoming examples to the flock.”. 

 

See that the problem isn’t call someone guide (or leader, pastor, etc.), but the way for which guides and subordinates deal with each other. Many subordinates idolize their guides, being able to kill or die for them or for what they order; and the guides like very much this kind of worship because this makes easy for them to take advantage of them and explore them.

 

Notwithstanding, when the guides, instead of defrauding people, delighting in humility and worshipping of the angels, intruding into things which they has not seen (without a cause being vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind), they decide to hold the Head and the believers answer receiving Jesus’ supplies and growing with the growth of God through mutual cooperation (Col 2:18,19), this is pure blessing.

 

In short, the problem isn’t the titles itself (unless the title confers an honor which is owed only to divinity). When the title is only to identify the role carried out by leaders and subservient in love, it is a blessing.

 

In this case, there is no need to be calling anyone by the title; just call by the name. After all, the position is not for exaltation, but only for organization. As Jesus said, we're all brothers.