Avoiding Titles
Matthew 23:8-10
“But as for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’ because you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father who is in heaven. And do not be called masters either, because you have one Master, the Messiah.
Jesus instructed His disciples to stay away from titles that would put them on a pedestal. We have one Teacher, the Holy Spirit, and we are all brothers and on equal footing as Christ followers. God is our heavenly Father, and we are not to look to anyone else to fill that role. While a pastor is a spiritual leader, he is never to replace the role of our heavenly Father. To do so places him on a pedestal, and he will eventually fall because he is imperfect, just as we are.
Jesus also warned of not allowing others to call us master. As Christians, we have one Master, who is Jesus the Messiah. He is our Lord, and we are not to expect others to serve us in the same way. We are called to serve those God gives us to lead and not to lord any title or position over them.
It can be very easy to place others on a pedestal to replace what only Jesus can be in our lives. Faith requires an object, but if we place that faith in another person, we will be disappointed. Looking to a pastor or another spiritual leader as God unfairly places too much responsibility on that leader. While our leaders are there to guide us, we are still responsible for our own spiritual growth and must work to develop our individual relationship with Jesus Christ. If we expect a leader to do that for us, we will become dependent upon the wrong object, and our faith will be shattered. A pastor or spiritual leader is as human as you are and subject to error. By the same token, you are subject to error as a part of our fallen nature, and no one should look to you as their god, either. None of us can handle God’s responsibility in another person’s life. We are all brothers in Christ, and we should remember that when we see a leader fall or err.
People will disappoint you, and you will disappoint others. We are to regard fellow Christians as our brothers and sisters in Christ and to pick each other up when we fall. Jesus will never fail you, and you can always trust His Lordship. Our faith must be firmly planted in Him, and our lives will grow from that faith.
Have a blessed day!