February 11, 2023: Why Do You Call Me Lord?

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?" (Luke 6:46, ESV)

If I want to call Jesus Lord, I must seriously evaluate my level of obedience to Him. "Jesus is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all" is an expression that challenges us. Lordship implies that He is the Master, and I am the servant. Lordship means that He has authority over my life and leads me where He wills. I am reminded of the words of Jesus to Peter in John 21:18, "when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." Jesus was referring to the kind of death Peter would endure. As Jesus restores Peter after his denying Him, He again 'connects the dots' for Peter: "My Lordship in your life is based on your obedience to me."

If Jesus is to be the Lord of our lives, then our lives must be lived out in obedience to His word. Lordship is based on surrender, and surrender is based on my willingness to obey. My obedience is based on my love for Him. His words, "If you love me, you will obey my commands." This is not behavior modification; it's heart transformation through receiving His love! Lordship must reflect obedience. Lordship is a constant call to daily surrender to Him. It is the daily surrender that permits us to call Him Lord genuinely.