Sermon: The Significance of "Name"

Text: Luke(20:45-21:1-4), 21:5-19

Lectionary: Proper 28(C)

Where’s the Good News?

Today’s reading from Luke’s gospel doesn’t seem to have very much gospel – good news – found in it. At least it sure feels like there isn’t. This passage is the first half of a text that is sometimes called “The Little Apocalypse.” There are parallel passages in Matthew and Mark. It seems to be predicting mostly bad news for those who follow Jesus.

Jesus speaks these prophetic words when he is in the temple, surrounded by a crowd. Luke does not specify whose words prompt Jesus’, but they are prompted when he hears some of the crowd oohing and ahh-ing over the magnificent, opulent, and grand temple buildings and its decorations and ornamentations.

In response, Jesus tells those around him that the temple will be utterly destroyed. It can be difficult for those of us here to relate to the kind of magnitude of destruction that would have been felt by those who heard Jesus’ words. For us in the United States, it would be akin to having the entire nation fall into the hands of a foreign adversary. But something like that is nearly impossible given the geographical size and the population number of the nation. It was much easier for Rome to destroy Jerusalem and the Jewish nation, given their respective size and power.

But perhaps we could more readily imagine an internal collapse of systems and structure of the nation, much like what the Roman Empire experienced that led to her collapse. We might more easily imagine the chaos and fear that such an event would bring about.

The people see the temple and assume it will stand forever. After all, it is dedicated to God. Would God allow something to happen to God’s temple?

Yet Jesus tells them that indeed, the temple will be destroyed.

Warnings from Jesus

I can imagine the shock and incredulity of the people who hear this. And they ask, “When will this happen, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?”

Neither question is really answered in the portion of Jesus’ response that was read this morning. What Jesus offers first is a prelude of things to expect before the destruction itself is imminent.

False Christs

The first thing that Jesus warns about are people that will claim to be delivering messages from him; messages that purportedly offer assurances of certainty and explanations for the chaos and confusion that are being experienced. Jesus says they will “come in my name,” but he warns, do not follow after them.

Global Chaos

Jesus then notes that there will be upheavals among and within nations, sometimes violently. But to not be alarmed or terrified, because these are things that happen. But these are not the signs of an impending end.

Jesus says the natural world will also experience upheavals. But these too, are not signs of the end.

Persecutions

Jesus goes on to detail persecutions that his followers can expect to face. But these will take place even prior to the upheavals just spoken of. Why are Jesus’ followers persecuted? Why are they sent before political and religious authorities? Why are they betrayed by family? Why might some be martyred? Why would Jesus’ followers be hated?

What’s in a Name?

According to Jesus, it is “because of my name”. "My name" is noted twice in this short section.

These two, with the use of “in my name” found in the first warning section, brings to three the mention and use of the phrase “my name”. And that piqued my curiosity. What is the significance and meaning of “my name”?

For most of us, end a prayer “in Jesus’ name” is perhaps our most familiar use of Jesus’ name. But what does that signify and mean? Other than rote habit and tradition, I don’t think we put much thought into it.

In some Christian traditions, a practice found during worship and prayer might include repetitions of calling out “Jesus.” This might be related to the saying that “there is power in Jesus’ name.” But what exactly is meant by that?

For most of us moderns living in the Western civilization, a name is an identifier and not much more. In a few cases names may harken to a noted family member that the child is named after.

We, therefore, have a broadly understood concept of “name” that has little to do with what seems to be the use of names in the Bible.

Ancient Significance of Names

A Jewish scholar, Professor Elinoar Bareket, in an article he writes,

The act of naming someone was a matter of great consequence in the Bible and in the ancient Near East. Indeed, it was widely believed that the name of a thing reflected its essence and very being; in other words, in some sense, the act of naming something meant creating it…

From time immemorial, naming someone demonstrates sovereignty or mastery. Even now, parents name their children, and people name their pets. It is understood in biblical texts that names are generally given by parents. When Pharaoh’s daughter finds Moses in the Nile, she names him; this is a sign that she is planning to keep him and adopt him.[1]

Loren Graham, at MIT and Harvard University, writes about a few ancient beliefs surrounding the use of names:

A common concept in history is that knowing the name of something or someone gives one power over that thing or person. This concept occurs in many different forms, in numerous cultures—in ancient and primitive tribes, as well as in Islamic, Jewish, Egyptian, Vedic, Hindu, and Christian traditions…

The ancient Egyptians similarly believed that one gained power over a god if one knew his name. According to the Jewish religion, the name of God was so holy that it was not to be said out loud. A likely reason for this prohibition was that naming God might be seen as an attempt to assert dominion over him, to duplicate illegitimately a power that God uniquely possessed.[2]

Name and Power

The two key understandings about ancient beliefs about names that are applicable to our reading today is: 1) that the use of a name is associated with power of the named entity, and 2) that the essence and very being of an entity is associated with its name.

When Jesus warns his listeners to be on guard for those who will come in his name, I think that this use of Jesus’ name is related to the idea that names have power, and that the wielder of the name has the power of the being that is named. It is very much magical thinking, but for people who lived in a time where this was the very air they breathed, for those who were following Jesus, it wouldn’t have been at all far-fetched to go after someone offering assurances and certainty in Jesus’ name.

We might want to believe that we would not be so naïve as to succumb to that kind of ploy. But the historical record shows otherwise. There have been many proclaimers of an imminent end whose proclamations have not come to pass. Some have been sincere but who have misunderstood scripture. But others have been far more nefarious, using the Bible and Jesus to satisfy their own egocentric desires, to manipulate and defraud, and even kill. At this very time in our history there are many who are using the name of Christ to advance a false gospel of security and certainty that is believed to be possible through accumulation of power, and power over others.

Name and Being

Genuine followers of Jesus will face persecution “because of” Jesus’ name. And here I think that the second understanding of “name” is finding application. Genuine followers of Jesus don’t use his name. Instead, their actions and very nature toward the world reflect Jesus’ actions and attitude toward the world.

Today we call ourselves “Christian”, but the earliest followers did not. In fact, “Christian” was an insulting name that was coined by outsiders to call those who followed Jesus.[3]

What are some of these actions and attitudes that Jesus demonstrated? A couple of short episodes immediately preceding this morning’s reading offers some examples.

^20:45 In the hearing of all the people he said to the disciples, ⁴⁶ “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes and who love respectful greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁷ They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

^21:1 He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; ² he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. ³ He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them, ⁴ for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 20:45-21:4 NRSVue)

First, Jesus is against self-aggrandizement and the use of wealth and power to create division and excuse oppression. Second, he notices people and their actions that don’t seem much in the world’s eyes, people and actions that are overlooked and even dismissed as irrelevant and unworthy. These are actions and attitudes that go against all prevailing powers of the world. They disrupt the social order. If wealth and power are not respected, if they are in fact disdained, entire power structures will be destroyed; those who benefit from them will lose their place and privilege.

This is the very essence and being of Jesus. It is also the very essence and being of God. One of the early Christ-hymns recorded is found in Philippians chapter 2, part of which reads:

⁵ Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
⁶ who, though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
⁷ but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,
⁸ he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 NRSVue)

This is what it means to live a life where others can accuse you of having Jesus’ name.

Assurance and Security

Earlier in his gospel text, Luke recorded Jesus saying,

Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it. (Luke 17:33 NRSVue)

When the world around us is chaotic and uncertain, it is tempting to look for someone or something offering security and certainty. Jesus tells his followers that it is not through wealth and temporal power, even if some may attempt to align it with the name of Jesus Christ.

What Jesus seems to be telling us is that the world will always appear to be chaotic and the future uncertain. What Jesus seems to be telling us is that instead of trying to find stability in this world, we should use the opportunity to speak out against the evils that wealth and power bring, to speak out against oppression, and to notice and lift up those that the world dismisses as unworthy and inconsequential.

We will not attain worldly influence or power through such means, but the God who noticed the widow giving all that she had will keep us secure, such that even though we may die, we will gain a life greater than what we experience today.

---

[1] Bareket, Elinoar. What’s in a Name?: The Bible vs. the Middle Ages - TheTorah.com (https://www.thetorah.com/article/whats-in-a-name-the-bible-vs-the-middle-ages)

[2] Graham, Loren. Philoctetes - The Power of Names: Religion & Mathematics (http://philoctetes.org/news/the_power_of_names_religion_mathematics)

[3] IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament; 2^nd ed. Acts 11:26. “Christians” occurs in the New Testament only here, as a nickname given by outsiders, and in 1 Peter 4:16, as something like a legal charge. The title is formed on the analogy of adherents to a political party: the “Caesarians,” the “Herodians,” the “Pompeians” and so forth. Had it been interpreted politically (“partisans of the executed Judean king”) it could have stirred persecution, but here it apparently functions merely as derision. At least by a later period, Antiochans were known for making fun of people. By the early second century, however, Jesus’ followers had welcomed the title.