Digging Deeper – Kurios, Pt. 2

It is only fitting that today’s devotional be a continuation of our study on the word kurios — a word used twice by Jesus to emphasize the priority of obedience over lip service in Luke 6:46. Yesterday, we looked at some of the historical and cultural uses of the word, not only in the New Testament, but also within the setting of Greco-Roman culture. However, the word kurios has another, more theological dimension as a substitute for the name of God in the Old Testament.

You may have been reading the Bible and come across the word LORD in all capitals. Did you know that the actual word being used there is not “LORD”? Rather, it indicates that, in the original text, the divine name YHWH (or Yahweh) is used. Throughout the ages, it became tradition for God-fearing Jews to refrain from saying the divine name because it was considered so holy. Therefore, in culture (and in the transmission of the text), the word “LORD” was used instead.¹ And guess what the Greek word for “Lord” is? You guessed it: kurios. Therefore, this word appears over 7,000 times throughout the Old Testament and became highly associated with the divine name.

During the time of Jesus, the word “Lord” would have carried certain theological undertones alongside its contemporary usage. Therefore, calling Jesus “Lord” would, in essence, connect Him with the divine personage of the Old Testament. So when Paul quotes the Old Testament in Romans 10:13 by saying, “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved,” he is applying to Jesus what was spoken of YHWH in Joel 2:32. For this reason, Thomas, upon inserting his finger into the hands of the risen Christ, says, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Additionally, in the Gospels (Mark 1:3, John 1:23, Matthew 3:3), the authors apply the words of Isaiah 40:3, “Prepare the way of the LORD,” to John heralding Jesus’ advent as the Lord. There are great theological implications in calling Jesus “Lord” throughout the New Testament.

Now, after two days of reflection on the word kurios, let us progress to the question that Jesus poses in verse 46: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”