Movie.
Gladiator.
Scene.
Maximus had been taken into slavery and became a Gladiator. He is ultimately taken to Rome to fight in the great Coliseum and wins the hearts of the blood thirsty mob for his valor and fighting skill.
The evil emperor, Commodus, thought Maximus was dead and forgotten. He goes to the Coliseum floor before the throngs to meet the great Gladiator, Maximus, whose face is always covered by his helmet. The ensuing conversation moves me to my core…
Commodus: “Why doesn’t the hero reveal himself and tell us his real name? You do have a name?”
Maximus: “My name is Gladiator.” (Turns and starts to walk away.)
“How dare you show your back to me! Slave! You will remove your helmet and tell me your name!”
Maximus takes off his helmet, turns and faces the evil Commodus. In quiet, determined words, he tells his name, his TRUE identity:
“My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius. Commander of the armies of the north. General of the Felix legions. Loyal servant to the true Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son. Husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life, or the next.”
Utterly shocked to find Maximus alive, Commodus’ words falter. His troops draw swords to slay the Gladiators, but the Coliseum erupts in unison, “Live, live, live…”
The devious, scheming Commodus realizes he is politically and ethically trapped in the eyes of Rome, at least for the moment, so he reluctantly turns his thumb up to show the gladiator will live to fight another day.
Commodus walks from the arena while the Coliseum explodes in cheers, not for the evil emperor, but the gladiator slave as the chant begins…”Maximus, Maximus, Maximus!”
Maximus knew his own name!
Knew his purpose!
Knew his reason to exist!
What a great thing to know your own name!!
Jesus talked to His disciples in Matthew 16:13-16:
Jesus asked, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!”
Peter knew Jesus, knew His name, knew His purpose! Immediately in Matthew 16:18, Jesus turns around and tells Peter his name and purpose!
Jesus calls you by your name too! He wants you to know your reason for existence! For if YOU don’t know your name, you don’t know your purpose! And if you don’t know your purpose, you don’t know why you even exist!
Know your name!
The Bible tells us part of our name already — Light. Salt. Truth. Witness. Servant. Mighty. In the world, but not of the world. Hating sin, but loving the sinner. And much, much more!
Some of our name is our own unique gifting and talents. Some of our name is what God has placed in our heart by interests, skills and abilities to use for a lifetime. Some of our name is our duties as a person living today in this time, this age.
It all combines to make our unique purpose for the name God gave each of us that is as unique as a snowflake. There is NO ONE that can be, do or replace what YOU are supposed to do! No one!!
We are all slaves, one way or another, a slave.
Either I am a a slave chained to the world, or I’m a servant slave freed by God. My name, my purpose, my reason for existence is ALL determined by WHOM I choose to serve.
So, slave, what is your name?
My name is Jeffrey Dan Rab, a husband to Janet, father to eight, backup father figure to three, grandfather to nine, a son, brother, uncle and nephew. I am an employee, a member, a citizen, neighbor, friend, acquaintance.
By myself, I am a worm of humanity, a worthless slave, EXCEPT I was saved by grace through faith. I choose, therefore, to be a bond slave, a servant of the Most High God, to follow Jesus, to listen to the spirit of the I AM THAT I AM. Now I am called to be light, salt, an alien in this world, for this world is not my true home. I am a traffic sign, if you will, pointing to the Truth. I am called to seek and grow in God’s wisdom, influence and communication.
Even so, I am still sinful, but called to love, which goes against my natural inclination, to sacrifice, which goes against my human nature, and to walk humbly, which goes against my sinful pride. I am utterly useless in the flesh, but I am a mighty warrior in the Spirit of God, and never taller than when I am on my knees. Today, that is my function! That is my hope! That is my reason for existence! THAT IS MY NAME!!
So, slave, what is YOUR name?
RabBits 
Love this post. So well written.
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Ah, thank you Jan! Peace to you!
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This was awesome! It brought tears to my eyes!! Yes, we have to know who God is, believe he is who he is, and believe that he created each one of us special for a very specific purpose.
And, then we are not to be ashamed of him or of his name, or be ashamed of the calling he has placed on our lives, too. But, we must know who God created us to be, and then be that person who God has called out of darkness into his wonderful light. We must bear the name of Jesus without shame or embarrassment and we must bear his character and his purposes for our lives, too, on our own character, in the same or in a similar manner.
My name is Susan, (meaning Lily of the Valley, a name given to Jesus), Jane, (meaning YAHWEH is gracious, i.e. the grace of God), Love, (literally meaning to prefer what God prefers, but as described in 1 Corinthians 13 and in the acts of Jesus Christ and his NT apostles).
I believe God had his hand in naming me, although my maiden name was Thorn, but then I went from Thorn to Love, which is a picture of my salvation from sin and from being without the Lord to becoming one of his.
And, I know his calling on my life, and I am, in his power and direction, doing what he has called me to do. And, it takes courage, too – just like Maximus had the courage to reveal who he was knowing it could cost him his life – to do what God has called me to do, knowing it could cost me my life, too.
“But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.” 2 Tim. 1:12 ESV
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Love it, love it, love it, Sue!!! What you wrote above could be your next post! Inspiring!! And love that you went from a Thorn to Love, from a thorn in His crown, to a love through his scars! In the Old Testament there was such emphasis put on the names and what you named your child. Someone. my friend, was most definitely thinking through your name!!!!
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Jeff, thank you so much for your encouragement. That means a lot to me that you took that time to respond to me in this way. God bless you, my friend.
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Sue, you are very kind! May Numbers 6:24-26 be all over you and your family!!
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Thank you, Jeff.
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