God's Honour for Our ShameSýnishorn

Is honour something we actually need? Jesus thought so!

One day the disciples of Jesus argued about who had the most honour. They were competing for status, boasting about greatness, and Jesus confronted them about it (Mark 9:33-35). He doesn’t tell them they are sinful or silly – in fact, he takes the matter seriously without rebuke. Instead, he told them how to achieve honour in the Kingdom of God. Jesus fought with the leaders of his day who used shame to control people. Jesus never did. Instead, Jesus gave honour away like there was no shortage.

Jesus is rewriting everything we ever knew about honour.

We look for honour at work, at home, in politics, arts, and economics. No one can really acquire honour in all of them. Neither can someone perfectly achieve honour in the world and honour in the Kingdom of God. Jesus treats these as opposing sources of honour, and in John 5:44, He says it’s evident if someone truly believes in him because they are looking for honour in the right place! John 12:42-43 shows us that some religious leaders made a clear choice about whose honour they were looking for, just like many of us do today. Jesus calls us to chase after something even better.

Jean was not even old enough to go to school yet when a tragedy happened in his home. His younger sister became sick and died. A leader in his village felt the shame of this event should fall to someone and falsely accused the small child of witchcraft. Jean was abused and expelled from his home. His family chose to preserve their worldly honour, even at the expense of their child. The village church and a Compassion centre there made a choice also, a different choice, a choice to welcome little Jean and provide an adoptive home for him.

Jean experienced shame because of what someone else said about him. Can you relate? But he also learned that God knew the truth and had not abandoned him. Jean chose to believe in God’s love and is beginning to heal in a community that is showing him the honour of belonging.

God hates what shame does to his creation and what it has done to you. Shame doesn’t tell the truth about who we are or why we were made! It separates, deteriorates, and it can even take a life. But a greater honour is possible! The honour of being God’s beloved child, an heir with Christ, a servant who achieves greatness in the eternal Kingdom of God.

Does it surprise you to know that God cares about your honour too? Consider that almost a third of the references to honour and glory in the Bible refer to the people of God. It’s written in every promise of God, every story, and every invitation into relationship with Him.

Where have you been looking for honour, and has it provided satisfaction?

Pray and ask God to show you where you have been chasing false or temporary honour in the world.