Kingdom Honor

Photo by Jose Llamas on Unsplash

Recently I’ve been reflecting on the idea of honor and what it means to demonstrate honor as a Christain leader. The basic dictionary definition of honor (as a verb) means to demonstrate esteem and respect for someone or to fulfill an obligation. You don’t have to be a social scientist to see that there doesn’t seem to be a broad sense of cultural obligation towards “being honorable.” An article from 2018 in Psychology Today mused that the cultural value of honor seemed to be declining, replaced by individually determined ethics. This has inevitably given rise to many personal codes of honor. Honor is an abstract concept, but the manner and degree to which we demonstrate it is inevitably the fruit of what we believe about ourselves, others, and ultimately God. For Christians, our primary example of what it means to live honorably, and to honor others, is Jesus Christ. Like everything he did, the manner in which Christ loved and honored human beings offended, and ran afoul of every worldly concept of power, prestige, and societal norm. As leaders in his Kingdom, we are called to honor as Christ honors. Below are 3 passages I’ve been reflecting on as well as a briefly stated principle of Kingdom-honor.

I invite you to reflect on them as well:

“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God;  so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.  After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”  (John 13:3-5)

1) The ability to honor others as God shows honor begins and ends in personal humility, not positional authority.

“When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him.  A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. “Be clean!’ Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.”  (Matthew 8: 2-3)

2) Demonstrating respect and care for people the world calls weak and undesirable is a leadership imperative in the Kingdom of God.

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you, he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’’” (Matthew 4: 8-10)

3) Kingdom leaders honor and are faithful to God both in their public, and private lives.