There is Honour in God's Praiseworthy Name

A Perspective of the Third Commandment

By Khen Lim



Image Source: mamamia.com.au

When the disciples returned home, Mary remained behind, standing outside and weeping gently but quietly while she bent low to peer into Jesus’ emptied tomb. She saw nothing but two angels, seated where Jesus’ head and feet would have been had His body been there.

They asked Mary, “Woman, why are you crying?” (John 20:13a)

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put Him” (v13b).

Just as she said this, she turned around and noticed someone standing askance. In the midst of her sorrow, she had not realised that it was actually Jesus.

“Woman,” He said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” (v15a)

Mary mistakenly assumed that the person was the gardener. It couldn’t possibly have been Jesus. After all, He was dead. She saw Him crucified and drew His last breath at the cross. His body had lain there in the tomb. She probably helped in preparing His body.

“Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put Him and I will get Him.” (v15b)

Imagine this scene playing out in your head as you close your eyes and picture the pure intensity of the emotions. Mary Magdala was tearful and distraught. She wasn’t thinking straight. She had probably said the above with a pleading heart, desperate to want to do the right thing for Jesus. And suddenly, as she looked away from the man she assumed was the gardener, the unthinkable and unimaginable happened.

“Mary.”

As John 20:16 faithfully recorded the poignant narrative, “She turned toward Him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’” and the rest of this chapter is simply one of the most touching pieces of poetically crafted Scripture you can ever read.

Mary’s response above was swift and twisted in a sudden transformation from sadness to excitement. In that split second, Mary herself would have gone from complete resignation and despair to renewed happiness and overjoy not to mention, completely overwhelmed. Why? Because Jesus chose that very moment to call our her name, her most precious and personal identifying clue. Her name, a name chosen for her to be who she is. She wasn’t just known by that name. Jesus knew her by that name.

Names are very special. Your parents gave you your name and it is personalised to represent who you are. In the Bible, the characters’ names carry meaning that express their personalities and even behaviour. Consider Abigail’s husband, Nabal in 1 Samuel 25. As she pleaded for his life, David, already stung by his evil and harshness (vv9-11), was prepared to snuff out his miserable life save for her quick wit and intercession. 

As for the meaning of his name, Abigail says, “Please do not let my lord pay attention to this worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name and folly is with him” (v25). Another example is Methuselah whose name means “he dies, there is a dart” or “sending forth,” which directly alluded to the deluge that was to come. And it came the year that he died at the ripe age of 969 years.

When we contemplate the significance of the Third Commandment, we take measure that in this case, we are not just talking about any name. The Third Commandment banishes us from profaning, swearing, cussing or cursing God’s Name. We are, in other words, not to take His Name, the Name of our Lord, our God in vain (Exodus 20:7).

The point of the story from John 20 is the importance of a person’s name. We respond to the name we are given. We take pride in wearing that name for the rest of our life for that is the name that we are given. And at any moment, should someone defames our name, slanders it or heaps scorn on it, we are offended and hurt. If there is anything that can go straight to our heart and pierce it with pain, it is when someone treats our name with indignity and irreverence. If we can be made to feel this way, how would God feel when we use His Name thoughtlessly or even hatefully? How should He react whenever His Name is cursed upon?

Cursing is not something new. In the days of the Christians in Colosse, Paul had written, “But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander and abusive speech from your mouth” (Colossians 3:8 NASB). ‘Abusive speech’ is just another term for profanity. To a Roman church, Paul also said, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Romans 12:14, my italics, NASB).

We are commanded to revere God in every conceivable way, not least in upholding His Good Name. This means we are to respect the most powerful Name by way of praise and glorification. We are to put it in the most prominent position in our lives, to make it outstanding, to exalt His Name to the highest. Matthew 5:14-16 (NASB) says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

By the same token, God’s Name can also be defiled when we misrepresent Him through our poorly thought actions, appalling behaviours, incompetent responses and even the things that spew forth from our mouths. Paul warns us of this in Romans 2:21-24 (NASB):

“You, therefore, who teach another, do you teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonour God? For ‘the Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,’ just as it is written.”

As Christians, prying eyes watch every step we take and glaringly magnify every misstep we commit. By identifying our Christ values, and yet be seen to bring dishonour to God angers Him as we defile His Name and tarnish His flawless reputation. As said above in verse 24, “For the Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” this is a serious indictment worthy of very careful study and avoidance at all costs.

Rather than to foolishly use God’s Name in vain, we are to keep It holy – God’s Name should therefore be ‘hallowed’ especially when we pray (Matthew 6:9). Plentiful examples exist in the Bible as in how we should revere God’s Name through praise, worship, honour and glorification. The Book of Psalms is a wonderful place to start. Check out this week’s Reflection Verse for an excellent example (145:1-7).

Through His ministry, Jesus encouraged His disciples to pray and honour His Father. In fact it would have been an incredible honour to have lived in those times to hear Jesus saying, “If you ask Me anything in My Name, I will do it” (John 14:14, NASB) and then to pray as it were in His company.

Let us be respectful of God’s Name. Let us be cautious of our behaviour and attitude that is on public display. Let us be more sensitive about who we are before others so that we may uphold His Name. Remind yourself of Colossians 3:17 (NASB), saying, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”