I’m a little late to the party, but I recently watched Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Live in New York.
Midway through the concert, Springsteen introduces each member of the band. The introductions climax as Springsteen introduces his saxophonist, Clarence Clemons.
“Last but not least,” Springsteen says about Clemons, “I’m talking about the minister of soul … Do I have to say his name?” Twelve times, Springsteen asks the crowd who he’s talking about. Twelve times, the crowd responds by yelling his name before the song continues, praising the saxophonist’s contribution to the band.
I’m a little surprised by how moved I am every time I watch this introduction. Why is it so moving to see someone acclaimed like Clemons?
I used to think that longing for this kind of love and acclaim is wrong for the Christian. We understand that God deserves all the glory. I’ve always felt challenged by the words spoken by servants in one of Jesus’ parables: “We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty” (Luke 17:5).
In a self-absorbed age, we need Christians who are oriented around God’s glory instead of their own.
So is it wrong for me to be moved when Clemons is lauded by thousands? Yes and no. When we look for acclaim from people, we are on dangerous ground. “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven,” Jesus said (Matthew 6:1).
Grant Osborne observes, “The more you have an earthly perspective, the fewer your rewards in heaven.” If we live for human approval, we’ll probably get it, but in the process, we’ll forfeit the favour we really desire.
We should encourage each other. We should thank others for who they are and what they’ve done. But we should also be cautious about being motivated by the approval and recognition of mere humans or thinking that we are praiseworthy. Charles Simeon is right: “How small are our utmost exertions, in comparison with the greatness of our obligations, or the extent of our duty! … What reason have we to adore and magnify our God, who has deigned to make use of such unworthy instruments for the good of his people and the glory of his name!”
When we see ourselves as we are, we really have no reason to seek our own glory. When we see others as they are, we have no reason to seek their acclaim.
On the other hand, Jesus does encourage us to pursue recognition. “And your Father who sees in secret will reward you,” he promises (Matthew 6:4). Don’t live for the approval of the crowds. But don’t deny your desire for reward and recognition, Jesus seems to be saying. Instead, look to God to fulfil those desires. His recognition is what we crave, and we should orient our lives around gaining it.
As John Frame writes, “I confess that I was surprised by the number of times Scripture uses rewards to motivate obedience. Like many of us, I tend toward the Kantian notion that we should simply do our duty for duty’s sake and never think about reward. But that notion is quite unbiblical. If God takes the trouble (this many times!) to urge our obedience by a promise of reward, we should embrace that promise with thanks, not despise it. That is, we should not only do good works, but we should do them for this reason.”
Of course, we never earn God’s approval. Our good works, and his recognition of our feeble efforts, are all of grace.
But God has created us with a desire for approval and reward. When I see a rock star being acclaimed by the crowds, I’m seeing an echo of that desire. We should long for that kind of recognition, and then look for that longing to be satisfied by the One who promises to reward us, and then give him all the glory as we bow before him.
