Shame

In Seminary, we have focused a lot with shame and honor. This week's reading is on Mark and we are talking about the Messianic Secret. Basically, this is the fact that Jesus kept his true identity secret for the most part. Why would he want to do this? I mean he is Jesus.

Here are some thing to think about though. When you were associated with a title of Messiah you were of high honor. In fact, anyone around you was also associated with that honor. If Jesus went around telling people who he was others would be honored, but that was not what Jesus wanted. This is sweet. Ready? Jesus redesigned what it meant to be honored and shamed. Jesus spent time with those who were shamed. Those who had not an ounce of honor. The lepers, the sick, the dead, the possessed, the poor, and he loved them, and he re-defined what honor was. Honor was no longer how much property, money, or friends you had, it was about being shamed. This can be seen all through Mark. Jesus died the most shameful death that there was, to prove this point. In that time, Jesus should have been shamed, but among Christian eyes he was honored, and still is. Honor is not something you possess because you have money, or a big house, or a big car, honor is something you possess when care for the lost, and the least. It is about caring for those that are considered shameful. It is about putting yourself with those that are shamed.

The great thing is Jesus did this for us, we are shameful people yet Jesus was associated with our ancestors. He cares and loves us.

Jesus didn't want people to tell others who he was when they were healed because he didn't want people thinking he should be honored because he was the Son of God, but because he wanted to show us how wrong we are. We put our honor in all these material things, but REAL honor does not work that way. Real honor is about being shamed, and not caring. It's about not being the coolest person in the world, the best youth minister in the world, etc. It's humility, it's serving others, especially those that the world says that are shamed. My name has no honor to it, it has no money to it, but Jesus' name did, but he chose to not be recognized by those terms. I will put it in words of my Professor Dr. David Watson "the one who is regarded favorably in God's eyes will necessarily be regarded unfavorably, and thus dishonorably, in the eyes of the wider public." This is why Jesus says we are to take up our crosses and follow me. We must understand shame before we can live like Jesus. Shame = A Good Thing! What we see as shame, Jesus sees as a good thing.

Just a thought!