Digging Deeper – Kurios

In the sixth chapter of Luke, Jesus, addressing the multitude, stresses the character of true discipleship by saying, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” Before we dig into the essence of His lesson on obedience versus hypocrisy, it is worth our while to unpack this title, “Lord.” After all, our attention is drawn to it by its double usage, which, in the economy of Bible study, should give pause for reflection.

The Greek word rendered “Lord” in our Bibles is kurios. Its usage has been the subject of many books, articles, sermons, and even controversies throughout the ages. Over the course of the next two days, we will look at: 1) how it was used in the cultural and historical milieu of Jesus’ time, and 2) how it has been used in our Bibles as a substitute for the divine name.

In the Greco-Roman world, the word kurios was used to designate one with special power or authority. Therefore, it could be translated as “lord,” “master,” “owner,” or “head of household.” In Mark 12:9, the term refers to the owner of the vineyard (“What will the kurios of the vineyard do?”). First Peter 3:6 says that “Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord,” again employing the term kurios. In Acts 25, Festus, the Roman governor of Judea, refers to the emperor as “my lord.” Jesus states, “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24), thus using it to denote the position of a servant. Therefore, it can be shown that the title is employed in a variety of ways and would have been familiar to all who heard it as an indication of authority.

The word takes on another meaning, however, when applied to Jesus. Recall that Jesus was rejected by those in His hometown who said, “Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary?” “…and they took offense at Him” (Mark 6:3). Yet He was called Lord (kurios) by all who recognized that He was more than a carpenter or a teacher; He was the Master. His lordship was apparent. The Scriptures say that “people were astonished at His teaching because He taught as one who has authority” (Mark 1:22). Therefore, many called Him Lord.

With this in mind, do we, too, call Him Lord? Does He have authority over our lives? Is He the Master of all that we say and do? Take a moment today to reflect on His lordship over you.