Disrespect

Causes of disrespect for God and Jesus Christ

Disrespect caused by a wrong view of God and Jesus Christ

Romans 1:21–23 NA28

διότι γνόντες τὸν θεὸν οὐχ ὡς θεὸν ἐδόξασαν ἢ ηὐχαρίστησαν, ἀλλʼ ἐματαιώθησαν ἐν τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς αὐτῶν καὶ ἐσκοτίσθη ἡ ἀσύνετος αὐτῶν καρδία. φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησαν καὶ ἤλλαξαν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ ἀφθάρτου θεοῦ ἐν ὁμοιώματι εἰκόνος φθαρτοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πετεινῶν καὶ τετραπόδων καὶ ἑρπετῶν.

See also Lk 23:8–11

Disrespect caused by disobedience to God

Nehemiah 9:26 NRSV

“Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their backs and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies.

See also 2 Ch 24:17–20; 2 Ti 3:1–5

Disrespect caused by Satan

Acts 5:3 NA28

εἶπεν δὲ ὁ Πέτρος· Ἁνανία, διὰ τί ἐπλήρωσεν ὁ σατανᾶς τὴν καρδίαν σου, ψεύσασθαί σε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καὶ νοσφίσασθαι ἀπὸ τῆς τιμῆς τοῦ χωρίου;

See also Mt 8:28–29

Causes of disrespect for others

Disrespect for others caused by a wrong view of people

Mt 19:13–14 The lack of respect for the children arose from the erroneous belief that they were not important enough for Jesus Christ to bother with.

See also Lk 10:25–37 Those who passed by failed to heed God’s command to love their neighbours as themselves; Jas 2:1–4

Disrespect for others caused by seeking power and wealth

Ecclesiastes 4:1 NRSV

Again I saw all the oppressions that are practiced under the sun. Look, the tears of the oppressed—with no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power—with no one to comfort them.

See also Jas 5:1–6

Disrespect for others caused by envy

Micah 2:1–2 NRSV

Alas for those who devise wickedness and evil deeds on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in their power. They covet fields, and seize them; houses, and take them away; they oppress householder and house, people and their inheritance.

See also Ge 37:3–4

Disrespect for others caused by pride and contempt

Psalm 31:18 NRSV

Let the lying lips be stilled that speak insolently against the righteous with pride and contempt.

See also Mt 27:27–31

Disrespect shown in speech

James 3:9 NA28

ἐν αὐτῇ εὐλογοῦμεν τὸν κύριον καὶ πατέρα καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ καταρώμεθα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοὺς καθʼ ὁμοίωσιν θεοῦ γεγονότας·

See also Mt 27:39–44; 1 Ti 6:3–5

The development of disrespect

Disrespect can grow insidiously

1 Kings 11:4 NRSV

For when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.

See also Je 2:1–11

The temple area had been gradually invaded by commerce:

Mark 11:15–17 NA28

Καὶ ἔρχονται εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα. Καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν ἤρξατο ἐκβάλλειν τοὺς πωλοῦντας καὶ τοὺς ἀγοράζοντας ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, καὶ τὰς τραπέζας τῶν κολλυβιστῶν καὶ τὰς καθέδρας τῶν πωλούντων τὰς περιστερὰς κατέστρεψεν, καὶ οὐκ ἤφιεν ἵνα τις διενέγκῃ σκεῦος διὰ τοῦ ἱεροῦ. καὶ ἐδίδασκεν καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· οὐ γέγραπται ὅτι ὁ οἶκός μου οἶκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν; ὑμεῖς δὲ πεποιήκατε αὐτὸν σπήλαιον λῃστῶν.

Disrespect can spread infectiously

Deuteronomy 1:27–28 NRSV

you grumbled in your tents and said, “It is because the Lord hates us that he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to hand us over to the Amorites to destroy us. Where are we headed? Our kindred have made our hearts melt by reporting, ‘The people are stronger and taller than we; the cities are large and fortified up to heaven! We actually saw there the offspring of the Anakim!’ ”

See also Es 1:16–18; Mk 15:9–15; Ro 2:24

Disrespect can end fatally

Leviticus 10:1–2 NRSV

Now Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his censer, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered unholy fire before the Lord, such as he had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.

See also Ex 32:25–28; Dt 21:18–21; Je 25:4–11