The Danger of HONOR

The Lord be with you

Who doesn’t like the praise of others? Who doesn’t want to be honored? There is a danger, though, with receiving the praise of men. Ewald Plass, in his book WHAT LUTHER SAYS, provides quotes from the great reformer Martin Luther on the general topic of “honor” that includes some warnings about the pitfalls of honor given by men.

IN HIS EXPOSITION of Gal. 5:25 (with a glance at verse twenty-six) Luther calls attention to the fact that all men crave recognition. (From the commentary of 1531.)

2061 All Men Like to Be Honored and Praised Jerome somewhere makes this statement: He had seen many people who were able to bear many misfortunes in body and possessions, but he had seen no one who had been able to think lightly of his praise. (W 40 II, 130 – E Gal. 3, 61 – SL 9, 721)

UNFORTUNATELY, honors, as a rule, do not at all improve a man’s character and disposition. Luther speaks of this in the introduction to his exposition of the Magnificat (1520 –21). He addresses John Frederick of Saxony and says that the humility of the highly honored Virgin is a fine example for all those who are in authority.

2062 Men Usually Do Not Bear Honor Well Since the heart of man is flesh and blood by nature, it is of itself prone to presumption. And when, in addition, power, riches, and honor come to him, these form so strong an incentive to presumption and smugness that he forgets God and does not care about his subjects. Being able to do wrong with impunity, he lets himself go and becomes a beast, does whatever he pleases, and is a ruler in name but a monster in deed. Therefore the sage Bias has well said: The office of ruler reveals what sort of man a ruler is. As for the subjects, they do not dare let themselves go, for fear of the government. Since they need not fear men, therefore, all rulers should fear God more than others do, learning to know Him and His works and walking diligently, as St. Paul says in Rom. 12:8: “He who rules, let him rule with diligence.” (W 7, 545 – E 45, 213 f – SL 7, 1374)

Plass, Ewald M WHAT LUTHER SAYS: A Practical In-Home Anthology for the Active Christian 666