Once considered impolite and unacceptable, name-calling has now become a cultural norm. As Christians, what do we make of it?

2 min read

Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose. -Luke 13:32

Part of our upbringing and socialization is to learn that we should not call people bad names. There are certain words (stupid, fool, etc.) especially that we are taught not to lob at anyone under any circumstances.

So, it may shock you to learn that Jesus called people by names other than their given name and sometimes the names he used were not-so-nice.

In the verse quoted above, for example, Jesus referred to Herod Antipas, a local (Jewish) politician in cahoots with Rome, as a “fox.” This wasn’t a compliment. By calling him a fox, Jesus was obviously referring to Herod’s reputation as a sneaky thief of other’s hard-earned money.

Another derogatory name often used by the Lord was “hypocrite,” a term he reserved mainly for the religious elites of his day who were pretending to be faithful and godly when, in reality, they were dead inside. He also called them “whitewashed tombs.” Jesus saw through their charade and had the audacity to call them what they were – to their faces.

Surprised? We shouldn’t be. Jesus simply used names to speak to reality. As the expression goes, he “called a spade a spade.” He didn’t do this to tear people down; rather, he used fitting words to accurately describe the character of people, or lack thereof.

But before we start calling people names “because Jesus did,” here’s an essential difference between us and Jesus: he knows the hearts of men and we don’t (Matthew 9:3-5). We see what we see in people and hear what we hear, but this is only part of the story. Only Jesus knows the whole story. Calling someone a name passes judgment on them and only Jesus knows a person well enough to do that.

This means the rest of us should avoid name-calling. Unless it is a name that builds a person up or compliments them in some way, we should leave it unsaid. As Paul put it,

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. – Ephesians 4:29

No matter how common it may be these days to use disparaging names for people that we are offended by, or disagree with, may God give us the grace to refrain from it. Instead, may we use the incredible power of language for good.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.