Revelation 3:1-6 - Skating on Your Reputation
Poor Michael Phelps. Sure, he still has his gold medals and is still the winningest Olympian ever. But a stupid encounter with a bong has tarnished his reputation. He’s young, so he may still recover and gain back his endorsement deals. It’s another matter for Michael Jackson. The “king of pop” has gone from superstar to creepy weirdo, and there doesn’t seem to be any chance of recovery for him.
Reputations matter. How people view you makes a difference. Over the past few years, a number of people have become celebrities not because of their talents, accomplishments, or even their looks. They’re famous for being famous. What exactly is Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian famous for, other than perhaps really poor impulse control? It doesn’t really matter. Now that they have a reputation for being famous, that’s all that matters.
As our kids were growing up, we taught them about the “halo and horns effect” that my wife learned in her psychology training. Once you’ve been identified as a devil, either because of your own deeds or those of your friends, teachers and other authority figures are going to be harder on you. But if people think you’re a perfect angel, you can get away with more, at least up to a point. Be careful what kind of a reputation you earn for yourself, because it’s going to have at least as much of an influence as what you actually do.
Reputations matter. It’s true for matters of faith as well. We’re told not let our witness to Christ be tarnished by unseemly conduct. Be all people to all things. Don’t let even the hint of impropriety touch you. Create and guard a good reputation so that you’ll be held in high regard by everyone.
Reputations matter. At least, they do when it comes to other people. We care about what people think of us, and we base our evaluation of others on what “they” think of them. It’s almost impossible to live down a bad reputation, and a good reputation must be tended carefully. If not, well… ask Michael Phelps, A-Rod, Michael Jackson, and Eliot Spitzer.
Reputations matter so much to people that it’s easy for us to think that they also matter to God. But they don’t. That’s the constant theme that we find throughout Scripture. The people who think that they matter, because everyone tells them how wonderful they are, get passed over by God. And the people that everyone thinks are scum, not even worthy of consideration, find a place of honor and respect. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him” (1 Cor. 1:27-29). Consider just a few examples from the Bible. First, a couple of people with big reputations that didn’t get the treatment they thought they deserved.
NAAMAN (2 Kings 5): Naaman was the commander of the Aramean army: second only to the king in one of Israel’s rival nations. When it came to human reputation, he was about as high as anyone could get in that time and place, unless you were born to a royal family. But he put his pants on one leg at a time, just like everyone else. His high status couldn’t spare him from contracting the most dreaded disease of the time: leprosy. It was painful, disfiguring, and disgraceful. But Naaman thought his troubles were solved when he heard that a prophet in Israel could heal him. So he showed up with all his pomp and finery at Elisha’s humble little country home. But Elisha, the man of God, didn’t care two figs for Naaman’s reputation. He didn’t even come out of the house to greet the man: a simple act of courtesy for a host to pay to a visitor. Instead, he sent out a servant to tell Naaman to wash in the Jordan River to be cleansed. Naaman’s dignity was insulted: not just by the snub that Elisha wouldn’t come out to greet him, although that was bad enough. After all, he was Naaman! He was used to having people ten time more important than Elisha grovel before him. How dare he treat him this way! But what was even worse was that he was supposed to find healing in the dirty water of the tiny little Jordan River. (I’ve seen the Jordan River, by the way. Naaman was right. The Conequenessing Creek could give the Jordan a run for its money.) It was beneath his dignity to bath in that disgusting river. Fortunately for Naaman, one of his servants suggested that he set aside his concern for his reputation for a moment and give it a try. And he was healed.
THE RICH YOUNG RULER (Luke 18:18-23, with parallels in Matthew and Mark): As Jesus did his preaching thing, he started to develop his own powerful reputation. Celebrated people tend to hang out with each other: do you really think Brad Pitt would have George Clooney as a best friend and Angelina Jolie as a girlfriend if he was a normal guy like the rest of us? So one of the powerful people came up to Jesus and asked what he could do to connect with him. That’s a good networking technique, after all. But this powerful, rich, influential young man wasn’t expecting what Jesus had to say. Perhaps he thought that Jesus would upgrade his group of friends: get rid of some of this embarrassing yokels and include people like himself. He could pull strings with the Jerusalem establishment and open doors to the halls of power for Jesus. Because of his reputation, he could make things happen for Jesus. But Jesus’ response? Sell everything, give it away, and follow me. That was more than the rich young man could handle, and he walked away sadly. Jesus didn’t want what he had to offer! Well, actually Jesus did. But it wasn’t his reputation and his influence that Jesus wanted.
Now, for a couple of other examples: people with not much of a reputation at all that God selected and blessed.
BARTIMAEUS (Mark 10:46-52): Not long after Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler, the city of Jericho opened its arms wide to greet him as he arrived. The streets were packed with people who wanted to see this miracle worker from Galilee who was on tour down south and had come to their town. The scene was probably almost as wild as the Steeler victory parade in Pittsburgh a couple weeks ago. The mayor and all the important people were lined up in the most prominent place to give Jesus the keys to the city and have their photos taken with them. But of everyone in the crowd cheering for Jesus and calling out his name, who does he stop to take notice of? A poor blind beggar squatting in a corner asking for help! (Luke tells us that he also stopped to talk with Zaccheus, the most hated man in town, but that’s another story. Same point, though.) The people of Jericho didn’t even know the beggar’s name: they just called him Timaeus’ son. Talk about the opposite of a good reputation: totally ignored! But he’s the one that Jesus wanted to bless.
JEREMIAH (Jer. 1:4-16): Being a prophet was a hard job, but it was also a very influential one. As prophet, you would be the one to speak God’s word to the entire nation. You would advise the king and the temple leaders. So when God told Jeremiah that he would be a prophet, Jeremiah could hardly believe that it was true. He wasn’t qualified. He didn’t even think that he met the age requirement: he was just a kid, after all. Everyone told him that he didn’t really amount to much. But God thought differently. Today, all the important people of Jerusalem with big reputations have been forgotten. Their names are nothing more than tongue-twisters for Scripture readers. But Jeremiah, the little kid with no credentials, is still someone that we talk about.
Reputations really don’t matter to God. What Peter told Cornelius is really true: God does not show favoritism (Acts 10:34). And that’s the message that Jesus wanted John to share with the Christians of Sardis. They had a great reputation. Everyone thought that they were wonderful people. They were alive and vibrant in the faith. They were good faithful and honorable people. At least, that’s the reputation that they had. But God knew better. He knew that their reputations were empty: like the stars today who can sell movies or songs not because of their talent, but because of reputation. There was nothing to them. People thought they were alive, but they were dead. They were soiled like dirty laundry. Because of that, they were in danger of losing their place in God’s kingdom.
Reputations are like stereotypes. They get started because of some affinity with reality, but that doesn’t mean they’re accurate. When we start to care about reputations, ours or other people’s, more than reality, then we’ve gone off course. People may think that you’re “alive:” that you have a strong faith, that you’re devoted to the Lord, that you’re committed to discipleship and mission. But how accurate is that perception? Is it real, or just a reputation? If you’re active in church or a regular worship participant, does that really reflect the relationship you have with your God? Or is it just a smoke screen that confuses other people, and maybe even you?
Reputations matter. How people view you makes a difference. Over the past few years, a number of people have become celebrities not because of their talents, accomplishments, or even their looks. They’re famous for being famous. What exactly is Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian famous for, other than perhaps really poor impulse control? It doesn’t really matter. Now that they have a reputation for being famous, that’s all that matters.
As our kids were growing up, we taught them about the “halo and horns effect” that my wife learned in her psychology training. Once you’ve been identified as a devil, either because of your own deeds or those of your friends, teachers and other authority figures are going to be harder on you. But if people think you’re a perfect angel, you can get away with more, at least up to a point. Be careful what kind of a reputation you earn for yourself, because it’s going to have at least as much of an influence as what you actually do.
Reputations matter. It’s true for matters of faith as well. We’re told not let our witness to Christ be tarnished by unseemly conduct. Be all people to all things. Don’t let even the hint of impropriety touch you. Create and guard a good reputation so that you’ll be held in high regard by everyone.
Reputations matter. At least, they do when it comes to other people. We care about what people think of us, and we base our evaluation of others on what “they” think of them. It’s almost impossible to live down a bad reputation, and a good reputation must be tended carefully. If not, well… ask Michael Phelps, A-Rod, Michael Jackson, and Eliot Spitzer.
Reputations matter so much to people that it’s easy for us to think that they also matter to God. But they don’t. That’s the constant theme that we find throughout Scripture. The people who think that they matter, because everyone tells them how wonderful they are, get passed over by God. And the people that everyone thinks are scum, not even worthy of consideration, find a place of honor and respect. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him” (1 Cor. 1:27-29). Consider just a few examples from the Bible. First, a couple of people with big reputations that didn’t get the treatment they thought they deserved.
NAAMAN (2 Kings 5): Naaman was the commander of the Aramean army: second only to the king in one of Israel’s rival nations. When it came to human reputation, he was about as high as anyone could get in that time and place, unless you were born to a royal family. But he put his pants on one leg at a time, just like everyone else. His high status couldn’t spare him from contracting the most dreaded disease of the time: leprosy. It was painful, disfiguring, and disgraceful. But Naaman thought his troubles were solved when he heard that a prophet in Israel could heal him. So he showed up with all his pomp and finery at Elisha’s humble little country home. But Elisha, the man of God, didn’t care two figs for Naaman’s reputation. He didn’t even come out of the house to greet the man: a simple act of courtesy for a host to pay to a visitor. Instead, he sent out a servant to tell Naaman to wash in the Jordan River to be cleansed. Naaman’s dignity was insulted: not just by the snub that Elisha wouldn’t come out to greet him, although that was bad enough. After all, he was Naaman! He was used to having people ten time more important than Elisha grovel before him. How dare he treat him this way! But what was even worse was that he was supposed to find healing in the dirty water of the tiny little Jordan River. (I’ve seen the Jordan River, by the way. Naaman was right. The Conequenessing Creek could give the Jordan a run for its money.) It was beneath his dignity to bath in that disgusting river. Fortunately for Naaman, one of his servants suggested that he set aside his concern for his reputation for a moment and give it a try. And he was healed.
THE RICH YOUNG RULER (Luke 18:18-23, with parallels in Matthew and Mark): As Jesus did his preaching thing, he started to develop his own powerful reputation. Celebrated people tend to hang out with each other: do you really think Brad Pitt would have George Clooney as a best friend and Angelina Jolie as a girlfriend if he was a normal guy like the rest of us? So one of the powerful people came up to Jesus and asked what he could do to connect with him. That’s a good networking technique, after all. But this powerful, rich, influential young man wasn’t expecting what Jesus had to say. Perhaps he thought that Jesus would upgrade his group of friends: get rid of some of this embarrassing yokels and include people like himself. He could pull strings with the Jerusalem establishment and open doors to the halls of power for Jesus. Because of his reputation, he could make things happen for Jesus. But Jesus’ response? Sell everything, give it away, and follow me. That was more than the rich young man could handle, and he walked away sadly. Jesus didn’t want what he had to offer! Well, actually Jesus did. But it wasn’t his reputation and his influence that Jesus wanted.
Now, for a couple of other examples: people with not much of a reputation at all that God selected and blessed.
BARTIMAEUS (Mark 10:46-52): Not long after Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler, the city of Jericho opened its arms wide to greet him as he arrived. The streets were packed with people who wanted to see this miracle worker from Galilee who was on tour down south and had come to their town. The scene was probably almost as wild as the Steeler victory parade in Pittsburgh a couple weeks ago. The mayor and all the important people were lined up in the most prominent place to give Jesus the keys to the city and have their photos taken with them. But of everyone in the crowd cheering for Jesus and calling out his name, who does he stop to take notice of? A poor blind beggar squatting in a corner asking for help! (Luke tells us that he also stopped to talk with Zaccheus, the most hated man in town, but that’s another story. Same point, though.) The people of Jericho didn’t even know the beggar’s name: they just called him Timaeus’ son. Talk about the opposite of a good reputation: totally ignored! But he’s the one that Jesus wanted to bless.
JEREMIAH (Jer. 1:4-16): Being a prophet was a hard job, but it was also a very influential one. As prophet, you would be the one to speak God’s word to the entire nation. You would advise the king and the temple leaders. So when God told Jeremiah that he would be a prophet, Jeremiah could hardly believe that it was true. He wasn’t qualified. He didn’t even think that he met the age requirement: he was just a kid, after all. Everyone told him that he didn’t really amount to much. But God thought differently. Today, all the important people of Jerusalem with big reputations have been forgotten. Their names are nothing more than tongue-twisters for Scripture readers. But Jeremiah, the little kid with no credentials, is still someone that we talk about.
Reputations really don’t matter to God. What Peter told Cornelius is really true: God does not show favoritism (Acts 10:34). And that’s the message that Jesus wanted John to share with the Christians of Sardis. They had a great reputation. Everyone thought that they were wonderful people. They were alive and vibrant in the faith. They were good faithful and honorable people. At least, that’s the reputation that they had. But God knew better. He knew that their reputations were empty: like the stars today who can sell movies or songs not because of their talent, but because of reputation. There was nothing to them. People thought they were alive, but they were dead. They were soiled like dirty laundry. Because of that, they were in danger of losing their place in God’s kingdom.
Reputations are like stereotypes. They get started because of some affinity with reality, but that doesn’t mean they’re accurate. When we start to care about reputations, ours or other people’s, more than reality, then we’ve gone off course. People may think that you’re “alive:” that you have a strong faith, that you’re devoted to the Lord, that you’re committed to discipleship and mission. But how accurate is that perception? Is it real, or just a reputation? If you’re active in church or a regular worship participant, does that really reflect the relationship you have with your God? Or is it just a smoke screen that confuses other people, and maybe even you?
posted by Rev. Peter de Vries, Old Union Presbyterian Church @ 6:22 PM
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