Expressing Honor

Romans 12:9-13

Take delight in honoring each other. (Romans 12:10)

BEHAVIOR IN ANCIENT SOCIETIES WAS often based on principles of honor or shame. We see this in much of the rhetoric in Middle Eastern, Greek, and Roman sources, along with many of Paul’s writings. It’s human nature; we tend to honor people for behaviors and attitudes we want to reinforce and shame them for behaviors and attitudes we want to eliminate. The gospel interrupts that dynamic with grace, but the human heart often clings to it by default. And when God’s Word tells us to honor the Lord because he is worthy, honor our father and mother because it is commanded, and give honor where honor is due, we understand.

What we don’t understand is a more radical dynamic of expressing honor even when we don’t feel like it or believe it is due. But Scripture tells us to honor one another above ourselves without qualifying whether the other person is worthy. That’s not far removed from Jesus’ instructions to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. We want conditions, reasons, a foundation of worthiness to base it on. When the gospel goes further in calling for honor beyond that foundation, we resist. It doesn’t fit our categories.

That should come as no surprise. God is an expert at defying our categories. People who have extended honor beyond normal expectations—to predecessors who had a part in building Christian institutions in ungodly ways, to rival religious leaders whose views are sincere but far from God’s truth, to governments and hierarchies that have maintained peace even while enforcing bad policies, even to enemies—have won hearts, changed minds, and been unusually blessed by God. Why? Because they express a core value of his Kingdom. They base their honor not on people’s pasts but on their potential. They see with eyes of faith and express it concretely. Such vision is rewarded by God and used by him to change relationships in powerful ways. The humble who show honor overcome the proud who withhold it. And God’s Kingdom shows up in increasing measure.

{Father, help me create a culture of honor around me. Draw others into it. Let me freely bless with no hints of bias, no hints of shame, and no unnecessary restraints. May my words call many out of a world of shame and into a Kingdom of honor. Amen.