Honor was a chief value in the ancient world. For Jews, Greeks, and Romans, any violation of honor – by insult or attack – had to be avenged. Men – and this was a masculine ethic – had to defend their honor or endure a shameful reputation for weakness.

Honor ethics have infected Christian thinking for centuries. Medieval knights and early modern courtiers were often as concerned with honorable reputation as ancient warriors. At one time, dueling was fashionable within Christendom.

If we think we’ve outgrown these primitive instincts to defend honor and take revenge, we’re fooling ourselves. What do you feel when someone mocks a pet theory of yours at a party? What do you want to do when your husband or wife makes a cutting remark? What is your reaction when a child acts up in church?

You feel shame, and you want to retaliate. You want revenge. You want to defend or restore your damaged honor. Somebody damaged your honor, and somebody will pay.

Jesus’ instructions in the sermon on the mount were revolutionary in their time, and still are today. Jesus says that we should renounce the whole game of honor. Seek honor from God, not men.

But He actually does something even more radical. He doesn’t just say we should step out of the game. He reverses the rules of the game. For Jesus, honorable behavior means enduring insult and mockery; what’s shameful is defending your honor.

In this as in everything else, Jesus is our model. For He despised the shame, and revealed His glory in humiliation and death.