Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor

© 2021, Dr. Tamilio

William Shakespeare wrote, ““What’s in a name?  That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”  Actually, this is Juliet speaking of Romeo, saying that he would be just as handsome a man if he had a different name.  She would love him even if his name was Walter, although Walter and Juliet does not have the same ring to it.

Names are important.  It is one of the first things you tell a person whom you meet.  When people name their children, they don’t just pick a name out of hat.  The name usually has significance.  We name children after a grandparent or a close friend.  Maybe we name the child after the title of a beloved Jane Austen character or a song by the Beatles.

And then there are nicknames.  These are almost like titles that we confer upon friends.  Maybe it is to praise a certain characteristic they possess.  The fast kid is called Lightning.  The smart kid is dubbed the Professor.  The strong kid?  That’s Muscles.

Names are important.  They tell us about relationships.  Some names begin Aunt or Uncle, even if that person isn’t related to you.  Every Italian kid had an Aunt or Uncle So-and-So who were friends of their parents, though not blood relatives.

We name our pets.  Some people name their cars.  I once met someone who named her plants, but I think she was insane.

Names are important.  In the ancient world, knowing someone’s name gave you an advantage over them.  Remember the story of Jacob wrestling with God and being struck on the hip?  Reread Genesis 32:22-32 and you will see that the core of the story is Jacob wanting to know the name of his sparring partner.  Other classic works of literature do this.  Read The Odyssey by Homer and you’ll see what I mean.

Today’s reading from the Hebrew Bible takes a bit of a different twist.  It isn’t so much about knowing a name as it is about renaming — renaming for a purpose.

Yahweh has decided to establish his covenant with Israel through Abraham and Sarah.  When Abraham is called, his name is Abram and his wife’s name is Sarai.  As you heard, they were also quite old.  The text tells us that Abram was 99 and elsewhere we read that Sarai was 90.  Forget about getting ready for retirement.  At this point, I’d be getting ready to check out.  If I was Abraham, I’d be asking, “Um, Yahweh: where were you like 80 years ago?  I was looking for a job then.  Now that I’m 99, it’s a struggle to get out of bed, let alone be the person through whom you want to bless all nations!”  And what’s Yahweh’s response?  “I’m going to change your name!”  I would be like, “Change my name?  Are you serious?  It’s hard enough for me to remember the one I got now!”

So why do they receive new names?  Why do they go from being Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah?  Here is one answer — provided by the editors of the hugely popular Life Application Study Bible: “In the Bible, people’s names were very important—a name described a person’s character or experience.  Therefore, shortly before the promised son was conceived, God changed Abram’s name (which means ‘exalted father’) to Abraham (which means ‘father of many’).”[1]  There are different arguments as to what the name Sarai means, but Sarah means princess.  So, essentially, Yahweh is saying that Abraham and Sarah are regal figures.  It makes sense: three of the world’s major religions are referred to as the Abrahamic religions, because they all trace their lineage to Abraham.

Names are important.  God calls us by name as well.  In Isaiah, Yahweh tells the prophet, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine” (43:1).  The writer of Proverbs says, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart” (21:2).  In Luke, Jesus says, “the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (12:7).  All of these passages show that God knows us intimately.  God knows our names.  God knows our hearts.

In the Bible, names are significant, because they tell us about the heart.  Okay, maybe not the heart per se, but they tell us about the individual: who he or she is, what that person does, and a bit about his or her character.  All the names associated with Jesus are significant: Immanuel means, “God with us.”  Then there are the disciples.  Peter’s name (Cephas) means “rock” in Latin, Greek, and Aramaic.  We could analyze the names of others, but you get the point.  I also understand that there are limits.  The name Judas means praise, but for some reason I’ve never met someone whose parents named him Judas.  If your last name is Arnold and you name your kid Benedict, then you are just a cruel parent.

In some traditions, children are given a Christian name when they are baptized.  This used to be fairly common in Roman Catholic circles.  I do not recall ever hearing about this within Congregationalism, but many of the baptismal liturgies that we use ask parents, “By what name will your child be called?” right before the actual baptism.  The parents usually say the child’s full name in response, and the minister repeats it as he or she applies the water to the child’s head: “Christine Ann Jones, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Why not just baptize children?  Why give them baptismal names — or say their names when they are baptized?  On one hand, they are being introduced to the community into which they are being initiated.  On the other hand, they are named as a child of God.  Their names are lifted up because they are known and loved by God.  The same goes for each one of us at every moment in our lives — not just when you were baptized.

When I lived in Kansas City, one of my closest friends and colleague was a Rabbi: Paul Silbersher, who died recently.  There was a huge age difference between us, but I think we may have been spiritual twins.  Anyway, at the end of each Friday night’s Shabbat service, right before the benediction, Paul would have everyone say their name together out loud.  I asked him why one time and he said, “Because each one of us is precious in God’s sight.  God gave us life and God named us.  By saying our names, we thank and honor God for the gift of life.”  Don’t worry: I am not going to make you shout your name, but I do want you to think about it for a moment: you are named, you are cherished, you are a child of God, you are accepted unconditionally, you are loved for who you are not judged for who you are not.

Names are important — and that includes yours.  Amen.

[1] Life Application Study Bible, NIV (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. and Zondervan, 2007). 30.