Reflections: Honor to whom honor

In an episode of Andy Griffith, Bobby Fleet and His Band with a Beat came to town and parked their vehicle in a parking spot too small for their bus. Andy wrote them a ticket. When they protested, he arrested them and put them in jail.  At the courtroom adjudication, Andy was the magistrate.  Without decorum but with verbal aggression, they objected to their punishment and Andy added a charge of offending the “dignity of his robes.” 

We don’t have much respect these days for authority. In our arrogance touting freedom of expression, we feel we can say anything we want to anyone even if their office if not their personal integrity should dictate honor.

“Woe is me,” said Isaiah, in Isaiah 6, as he approached God saying, he was “a man of unclean lips” living among people of unclean lips.  An angel brought a coal from the altar and put it on his tongue to cleanse his words before God.  

In the parable of the Pharisee and the publican in Luke 18:9-14, he Pharisee in his pride stood before God in the temple and thanked him for creating him a holy person who needed no repentance while looking down his nose at another worshiper.  He disdained him and patted himself on the back, lauding himself.  It’s an easy trap to fall into these days, it seems. 

Ex President Obama during a congressional hearing thought of himself more highly than he ought to think (Romans 12:3) and received a reprimand from the chairing congressman.  Congresswoman Ilhan Omar faced similar confrontation. It is reported President Trump denigrated himself at a dinner in the United Kingdom by asking personal questions about King Charles III children living in America.  “Know your audience” is attributed to advertising executive David Ogilvy.  How quickly we forget to whom we are speaking. 

We have forgotten the honor of the position. We have forgotten that even those at the top of the human hierarchy should yield honor to whom honor is due. (Romans 13:7) The Ten Commandments initiated the concept: Honor thy father and mother which is the first commandment with promise that your days may be long on the earth.  How shameful we laugh and tell our children, “Just call us Mike and Carol” Or a teacher encouraging her class to just call her, “Fern.”  We have forgotten the dignity of our robes, the honor and responsibility of authority and position. 

And as a result, we forget as we come to the throne of grace who is the judge. Who is the potentate to whom all things are naked and open with whom we have to do? (Hebrews 4:13)  Who looks not just on the outside of our person but also sees our hearts? (1 Samuel 16:7)   During Esther’s time, the scepter was extended to grant permission to speak in the kings presence.  (Esther 5:2)  As we enter God’s presence, the throne of grace, let us stand in humility as did the publican who said, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”  (Luke 18)

Let us be a little less brash like Peter (Mark 14:29) and a little more repentant like Job who put his hand over his mouth (Job 42:1–6).

(Cathy Bayert is pastor of Greybull First Baptist Church.)