Modern Americans generally eschew titles. When we hear someone intone all the titles of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, they are many and high. But, it strikes us as pompous to be a general in the British Army, an Admiral in the British Navy and an Air Marshal in the British Air Force. One has trouble conceiving how so many titles could possibly be deserved. The answer, of course, is that Prince Charles, as the child of a sovereign, is born to such honors and titles. And before we get too low and mighty about ourselves, we have to remember that we Americans have an aristocracy as well, just one organized on different bases; such as the aristocracy of shame that make up the orbits of Hollywood stardom, or our political aristocracy, as arrogant as ever the Sun King was. In any case, we just wonder how anyone can possibly merit a series of high-flown names or titles.

Scripture gives Jesus Christ a myriad of names and titles. But unlike British royalty or the mock aristocracy of the modern media, all His names and titles are well deserved and all apply to Him. None of them are mere pompous titles or honorific designations. Germanicus Caesar, who was a brilliant Roman general and in line to become Emperor after his father, Tiberius Caesar, often took his son, Gaius with him on campaign. He became a great favorite of the legions when his father had him dressed up in the legionaries' kit, including a small leather cuirass, skirt, and heavy marching boots, called the calices, in which the little boy marched up and down the camp like he owned the place. The legionaries soon gave little Gaius the affectionate title, "Little Boots." We know him by the same title. However, it no longer evokes affection but revulsion at his towering wickedness and horrible cruelty: "Caligula." There are no such errors of title in the high names attributed to our God and Savior Jesus Christ. For He is what He is called.

John Cassian