I have an odd last name. Or at least it’s spelled oddly. I don’t know when“Fyffe” came to be or who decided to spell it like that.
Here’s What Happened
Yesterday morning I went to an area hospital to have a scheduled procedure. The procedure went fine, I’m fine, it was an outpatient thing, and I home by 9:30 AM.
The issue was in how they pronounced my name. Think of, “iffy” and then place an F in front of it. Yep, all morning I was Mr. Richard Fiffy. My last name is pronounced, “Fife.” It’s spelled with a y and a couple of f’s in the middle, but it’s pronounced Fife, not Fiffy, not iffy with an F.
When they called me back and to get ready they said, “Richard Fiffy, Mr. Richard Fiffy.” People snickered, I’m sure of it. Then it was the nurses, a Doctor, a lab tech, and so on. I corrected them at first and then just gave up.
Oh well.
What About Jesus?
I was thinking about Jesus and some of his names:
Jesus or Yeshua
Messiah or Christ
Emanuel
Jesus of Nazareth
Son of David
Son of Joseph
Rabbi
Teacher
Lord
Master
Shepherd
Son of God
Savior
And others….
At home, in Nazareth, he would be known as, “Yeshua Ben Yoseph,” or Jesus, Son of Joseph.
Names With Function
Many of his names were expressions of function, or service.
- Rabbi: teacher, a name with high honor
- Shepherd: serving and caring for the flock of Israel
- Son of David: from the tribe of Judah and from David’s line
- Savior: to save from sin, to save from the world
- Emanuel: God had come close, God was among the people
What’s In A Name?
At the end of the day, it didn’t matter that they got my name wrong; but Jesus, that’s different. It’s different because of functionality, service, and core identity. I was just a patient, but he is the Son of God.
To Close Out
We want to get his name right. We should. He is the Savior, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He came to serve, to seek, and to save. He was crucified, high and lifted up so all could see the shame of the cross, the shame he despised.
Other than common courtesy, it doesn’t matter if you get my name wrong. But for Yeshua Ben Yoseph, well, that matters and it mattes a lot. He is our Lord, King, and Rabbi. He is our Savior, Shepherd, and our Salvation. Yes, let’s get that one right!
Finally
Calling Mr. Fiffy, Mr. Richard Fiffy?
Oh Well.
