Mark 9:15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.

The idea of celebrity is ancient. We tend to think of dynasties ruled over by mad tyrants and history being written by the victors but people have always admired and celebrated things that amaze them. While celebrity is thought of as relating to a person, it does not have to be a person to amaze.

The sequoias of California amaze me. I take photos and share with my friends. I do not run to salute them. The bison of Yellowstone National Park amaze me, I talk about how impressive they were to everyone I know. I do not run to salute them. Rocky Mountain National Park and the view from Mt. Evans in Colorado are amazing. Yet I do not run to salute them.

The nature of things is the essence of humility. They are because they are and give no thought to the fact they are. Jesus was like that but it is the people who flocked to Him that gave Him celebrity. In all that Jesus was and did, all He ever wanted was to be, His most humble of truths, I AM.

His Father said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM. Those simple words of humility became so celebrated that no one dared utter them aloud for generations. Anyone caught uttering I AM was stoned. Yet when the great I AM came He did not glorify Himself, He glorified the Father. It was the people who gave Him celebrity that pushed Him and begged Him to say it.

John 18:6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

An thus began being slain in the spirit, those moments when the true nature of Christ is revealed and man’s celebrity takes a back seat to the true humility of the Glory of God. The great I AM became flesh and dwelled among men.

Proverbs 27:5 Open rebuke is better than secret love.

What good does love do you if you do not know it exists?

An open rebuke gives you an opportunity to explore problems. Maybe the rebuke is justified, maybe it is not, but if your brother feels strongly about your behavior, the honesty of a rebuke places conditions on the table where they can be examined and dealt with.

Have you heard the term milquetoast Christian? It is hard to get them to express any zeal at all about their beliefs. They express nothing for fear of confrontation. One does not have to be confrontational in a rebuke. It can be as simple as saying, “That hurt.”

While 1 Corinthians 13 says that love is not easily offended, it does not say that it cannot be offended. If an offense is received, then it should be voiced, otherwise it is secret love.

I will tell you what hurts me worse than an honest rebuke; that is when someone turns their back on me and walks away. That is rejection. I’ve had to deal with many rejections in my life and it hurts worse than a slap in the face, or a punch in the gut.

But how would you know if I suffered rejection if I kept quiet? You would not know. Such is many of the wounds of our past that are opened by the thoughtless acts of others. There is no slight, no direct intention, unless it is voiced.

Philippians 2:1-3 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.