Don't call me Teacher: Desiring to be Praised

A desire to be praised

In describing the Pharisees, Jesus said, “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.” (Matthew 23:5-7) The Pharisees loved the praises of men. They loved being honored and respected by others more than by God. All their works were motivated by their need to be noticed by men. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns us,

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:1-8)

When we allow others to call us Pastor, Teacher, Elder, or Father we open ourselves up to the desire to be praised. We can easily fall into the same trap as the Pharisees, where we desire the notice of men more than the notice of God. When we live for the praise of men, our lives become wholly about us; we cease to live to serve God and man and instead live only for ourselves. Praise can become an intoxicating drink that clouds our minds and perverts our judgment. This is why King Solomon said, “Each is tested by the praise accorded him.” (Proverbs 27:21) It is better to be praised by God than to be praise by men.

When we live for the praises of men, we grow weak in our faith. Jesus said, “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?” (John 5:44) When we look away from our heavenly Father and seek to receive praise and acceptance from men, we loose sight of the promises of God and we grow weak in our faith. Our strength comes from looking into His face and receiving what He has to say about us. Our confidence grows when we understand how much the Father loves us and when we learn to hear His praise for us. With men, we might have our “15 minutes of fame,” but with God, His love and acceptance for us is eternal.

David Robison