Can we call someone or be call by some honorific title? (Part 3).

[Leonardo Von]

Can we call someone or be call by some honorific title? (Part 3).

*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.

Have a good week following all good example and, at the same time, being a good one too.