“Lord” is not a common form of address today, but in Jesus’
context it was widely used and had multiple applications. On the most basic
level, it was a respectful way of addressing a superior, meaning “master” or
“sir.” On a more exalted level, “Lord” served as a divine title.
God has several names in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament),
such as Elohim, El Shaddai, and others, but the most distinctive name
attributed to the God of Israel was YHWH, a name that was considered so holy
that it was not even to be pronounced. When Greek-speaking Jews translated the
Hebrew Bible into Greek, in a translation called the Septuagint, they
translated the name YHWH with the Greek word Kyrios, “Lord.”
In all likelihood, when Jesus’ disciples called him “Lord”
prior to his death and resurrection, they did so according to the word’s common
usage and meant something akin to “master” or “sir.” However, as the Christian
tradition developed in the wake of Easter, Christians applied more and more
exalted titles to Jesus and the title “Lord” in particular took on divine
significance.
What is striking in this week’s passage is that Jesus
condemns those who call him “Lord, Lord” but do not follow the teachings he has
just set forth in the Sermon on the Plain. Simply acknowledging Jesus as “Lord”
is inadequate, even if that implies an identification of Jesus with the God of
Israel. The true disciple, according to Jesus, is one who “listens to [his]
words and acts on them.” |
