Socrates once pointed out that even those who claimed to reject honor— like the Cynics, who would walk through the marketplace without shame— were really just chasing honor of a different kind. They wanted people to admire their shamelessness. They were still playing the same game as the people they were criticizing.

And we can fall into the same trap.
If we treat Jesus’ words simply as clever advice,
we may just find ourselves maneuvering for honor in a subtler way; pretending to be humble so that others will admire our humility.
But that is not what Jesus is offering.
At the heart of this teaching is the word glory.
In Greek, the word is doxa—which can mean reputation, or opinion.
Human beings crave a sense of worth, a reputation, an identity.
And too often, we let other people’s opinions define us.

But Jesus shows us another way.
He does not live for the glory that comes from people.
He lives for the glory of God.
He depends entirely upon God’s love and God’s judgment.
And when we do the same—
when we stop worrying about how we appear in the eyes of others,
and begin to care most deeply about how we live before God—
then we begin to discover what true honor really is.

You can view the full sermon by following this link.