There was once a man who went around calling himself a pastor and expecting everyone to do the same even though he never made it clear to anyone they were to address him that way. A person would go up to him and say, “Hello [insert first and last name], how are you today?” Days later, that person would find out that the pastor through gossip had been whining and complaining about him to others because of a lack of respect.
I think back to John 15 when Jesus was sitting with the disciples telling them about the vine and the branches. I’m sure the disciples were trying to figure out why such an important man was spending his time talking about plants. However, it soon became clear that Jesus wasn’t speaking about botany.
Jesus was talking about love and respect for one another. He pointed out that a name does not give you respect, nor does a title. True respect comes from love. That’s why Jesus didn’t say the second greatest commandment is “Love those who have a fancy title because they are deserving of respect.” He said in Matthew 22:39 to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That’s where respect comes from.
Jesus was in fact not just a man sitting in a field with a few followers, He was God in the flesh. He could have demanded that His followers address Him as “My Lord” or “Son of God” or “Your Greatest Majesty of a Man who ever stepped onto the Planet Earth”. But Jesus knew the names meant nothing if there was no love.
Instead, Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus did just that and He called you and me His friends. Verse 14 goes on to say that we are His friends.
The wrong done in the first paragraph isn’t the person who called the pastor by his first and last name. The wrong was the pastor going to others and demanding respect through a position. We can wonder if he truly had love for those he chose to complain to others about.
Your position and title will never be higher or of more value than that of Jesus. He called us friends and we can call him a friend. Love others like you do yourself, and know that you have respected that person.
I think back to John 15 when Jesus was sitting with the disciples telling them about the vine and the branches. I’m sure the disciples were trying to figure out why such an important man was spending his time talking about plants. However, it soon became clear that Jesus wasn’t speaking about botany.
Jesus was talking about love and respect for one another. He pointed out that a name does not give you respect, nor does a title. True respect comes from love. That’s why Jesus didn’t say the second greatest commandment is “Love those who have a fancy title because they are deserving of respect.” He said in Matthew 22:39 to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That’s where respect comes from.
Jesus was in fact not just a man sitting in a field with a few followers, He was God in the flesh. He could have demanded that His followers address Him as “My Lord” or “Son of God” or “Your Greatest Majesty of a Man who ever stepped onto the Planet Earth”. But Jesus knew the names meant nothing if there was no love.
Instead, Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus did just that and He called you and me His friends. Verse 14 goes on to say that we are His friends.
The wrong done in the first paragraph isn’t the person who called the pastor by his first and last name. The wrong was the pastor going to others and demanding respect through a position. We can wonder if he truly had love for those he chose to complain to others about.
Your position and title will never be higher or of more value than that of Jesus. He called us friends and we can call him a friend. Love others like you do yourself, and know that you have respected that person.
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
- John 15:9-15 (NIV)
In His Grip,
www.maackministries.com
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