This evening as I read my Bible, I was struck by Matthew 10:32-33. Whoever acknowledges me (Jesus) before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. (NIV) I’ve read this passage multiple times, and it always felt very straightforward. Be bold and speak of Jesus as the savior in front of others, even if it feels awkward or uncomfortable. This is very much true, but I believe there’s more in this passage than just speech.
In the passage leading up to this, Jesus is assuring his disciples that though the world will be against them (just as it is against us), it cannot harm them. Nothing can come before the power of God, and any suffering they (or we) endure for him, by others, is nothing compared to what awaits us in heaven.
The sudden jump jarred me as I read it. Do you notice it too? It’s not extreme, but it is there. He jumps from talking about following his will, to speaking of him. Or does he? I believe acknowledging Jesus is about more than just speaking his name aloud. Yes, that’s important. As baptism shows us, it’s important for us to make a public declaration of our dedication to Jesus. Just like with baptism however, it’s about more than words.
Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) – Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Acknowledging Jesus, both through baptism and in our everyday lives, is about how we live. What proof is it of our love if we declare verbally the name of Jesus, before cursing out our neighbors? Can we claim to be loving the Son of God when we hide behind his name while waving a stick angrily at others? No, our love for Jesus is shown in our effort to live like he calls us to.
I know in my own life, it is so easy for me to think that acknowledging Jesus means shouting his name in someone’s face. That action itself is not easy to take, but I fool myself into believing it’s right because it’s an easy interpretation. And again, it is important to proclaim his name with our mouths, but to do so with love. Just as our proclamation is important, It is equally important that our actions follow suit. Let us not be called hypocrites because of our laziness; let us be called hypocrites because of our ongoing change to become like him.
Even in the way the text is written, the author of this book takes care to capitalize “Father”, “Son”, and “Holy Spirit”, yet does not capitalize “heaven”. In our modern writing, this seems counter-intuitive (not that our language is entirely intuitive of course). If I wrote about my dad, I would write “my father”, not “my Father”. I would capitalize the name of a place, “Heaven”. Because to me, naturally a proper noun deserves the extra focus. The Bible does not put the focus on proper nouns. Even recognizing heaven as the domain of God himself, it does not get capitalized. Because the point isn’t about the specific word, but about God himself. The focus is not on the writing, but the meaning. Similarly we acknowledge Jesus not through empty speech, but through speech backed by meaning.
It’s a tough challenge, I know that well. Living for God –living like Jesus– it’s really hard to do. When someone cuts me off in traffic, I don’t want to bless them. When someone interrupts me in conversation, I don’t want to listen and wait. And so many times I have failed to follow God’s desires before my own. That is why I am so grateful for Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, that my shortcomings and my sins are forgiven. I may fail to live up to his standards a thousand more times, and be called a hypocrite for my beliefs a thousand and one, but I will stand firm in the knowledge that God is above all, and has made a place for me (and you) in his home. His Holy Spirit is ready to guide us, all we have to do is invite him in.
I pray that this week we invite the Holy Spirit to fill us, whether for the first time or the hundredth, and we seek to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior the way he intended.