Honor to whom honor is due

One of the most important and familiar events recorded in the Bible was the baptism of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in the Jordan River (see Matthew 3: 13-17 NIV). When John protested, Jesus encouraged him to do so in order to “fulfill all righteousness.”

A detailed theological discussion of the event is beyond the scope of this article. This article suggests that what Jesus did and said paid homage to John to whom the honor was due at that time.

By the time he approached John the Baptist, Jesus was holy, had no sin to confess, repent, or wash away. His holiness endures forever. However, he wanted to identify with the sinful humanity for which he came to die.

The baptism of Jesus strengthened and empowered John. He also supported and validated John’s mission. The Old Testament ends with a prophecy that God would send us “the prophet Elijah before this great and terrible day of the Lord comes.” (Malachi 4: 5 NIV). Remember that Elijah had already been taken to heaven in a whirlwind at the time of this prophecy (see 2 Kings 2:11), so the reference to Elijah was to someone else in Elijah’s mind. Jesus would later say that “among those born of women there was no greater than John the Baptist”; and that “if you are ready to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come”. (Matthew 11:11, 14 NIV). As important as John the Baptist was, he was far from being near Jesus in greatness.

The baptism was a short moment in time; yet it was very deep. This was done without prior planning by both. Jesus went to see John openly where other people were being baptized. Alone, Jesus willingly submitted to John’s authority at that time. He did not seek any secrets or preferential treatment. Jesus demonstrated that no matter how high or powerful we are, it is okay to honor someone lower or weaker than us.

Giving honor is sometimes situational. It depends on the time, place or occasion. A person worthy of honor in one setting may not necessarily be worthy of the same honor at a different time, place or occasion. Even a person with the title “Honorable” may have to honor others depending on the time, place, or occasion.

Sometimes you have to pay homage to people who you mistakenly regard as inferior to you. It could be a younger pastor, a younger leader, a younger manager, a younger teacher, a poor leader, or anyone whose age, status, or qualifications may be lower than yours. If that person occupies a position of honor, then the honor should be bestowed upon him accordingly.

Take, for example, the bishop or senior pastor of a church who visits the local church to worship. If the local pastor asks the congregation to stand or kneel, and the bishop or senior pastor refuses to stand or kneel only because he or she is the bishop or pastor principal, he or she may not render the honor to whom the honor is due, and may not do all justice. The act of standing or kneeling is not for the benefit of the local pastor, but for God. Therefore, in the absence of any Church rule to the contrary, the bishop or senior pastor may undermine the authority of the local pastor and fail to honor him, but more importantly, he or she can dishonor God.

A few weeks ago, the people of Ghana and the United States witnessed examples of honor to which honor is due. Focusing on Ghana, the President-elect of Ghana and the Vice-President-elect each took an oath in the Parliament administered by the Chief Justice before assuming their duties as President and Vice President, respectively. Likewise, before becoming Speaker of Parliament, the President-elect was sworn in by the Chief Justice. Yet the President appoints the Chief Justice, and the President, Vice-President and Speaker of Parliament are all superior and take precedence over the Chief Justice.

Honor is so important that one of the Ten Commandments is dedicated to it: “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live a long time in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” (Exodus 20:12 NIV). It is the only one of the Ten Commandments with a promise. Therefore, a secret to living a long life is to honor your parents and, by extension, your elders and anyone else to whom the honor is due. For example, those who dishonor or disrespect their parents, but who honor or respect their pastors and other important figures may need to reassess their Christian values.

Giving honor to whom honor is due does not take anything away from you. Rather than diminishing your stature, it enhances it. It shows that you respect people and that you are not carried away by your own importance or consumed by a superiority complex. What’s more, what happens comes back. If you return the honor to whom the honor is due, the honor will return to you in due course.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man, went to John the Baptist to be baptized by him. He who had no sin, went to a sinner for baptism in order to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus was humble and meek, and wants us to do the same by giving honor to whom it is due.

Our first and greatest honor is to God. In all circumstances, we must find a way to honor God and honor people in a way that honors God. The apostle Paul gives some advice. Paul says we are to honor one another above ourselves (Romans 12:10 NIV). He also tells us not to do anything out of selfish ambition or vanity, but out of humility, consider others better than ourselves (Philippians 2: 3 NIV). If we have the mindset of honoring all those above ourselves, we would not be caught in situations where we fail to honor those to whom honor is due; that is, each and every one, because all human beings deserve honor, dignity and respect.

Prayer is the key. May God grant us the grace to seek him daily through our prayers.

Dr. Daniel Gyebi, Lawyer, Texas, USA, and Founder, PrayerHouse Ministry, Kumasi, Ghana.

The ministry of PrayerHouse is dedicated to providing a quiet facility for Christians to pray individually on their own without any middle priest, pastor, or anyone else. It is a free service. No money is requested or accepted. One facility is located in Kyerekrom / Fumesua, near the offices of the Buildings and Roads Research Institute, 1.6 km from the Kumasi-Accra road and next to a house called Grace Castle. If you are interested, please contact Agnes at 054-7498653. Another is located in Kantinkyiren, at the junction of Kantinkyiren and Konkori, on the Kumasi-Obuasi road, branching left at the Trede junction. Contact Kwadwo at 020-8768461 / 0246-989413.