SOPHIA! SOPHIA!

“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

— Philippians 2:10–11 (KJV)

Hey Bloggers,

Before I dive into today’s blog, let me give credit where credit is due. The title was inspired by one of my favorite scenes from The Color Purple. If you’ve seen it, you probably remember Harpo looking at Sophia and saying,

“Sophia…that’s such a pretty name.”

That simple line carried so much affection. It wasn’t just about her name—it was about how he saw her.

Now, although this blog begins with a scene from a movie, as always, we’re going to end up exactly where we belong—at the feet of Jesus.

Harpo loved Sophia.

She wasn’t the woman everyone expected him to choose. She was strong, outspoken, confident, and larger than life. Others judged her before they ever knew her. They formed opinions based on appearance, family background, and rumors.

Even Harpo’s father immediately dismissed her.

He assumed she wasn’t worthy before he ever took the time to know her.

But Harpo saw something different.

He didn’t love her because she fit everyone’s expectations.

He loved her because she was Sophia.

That made me stop and think…

How often do we do exactly what Harpo’s father did?

How many times have we judged someone before learning their story?

Have you ever judged someone because of…

• their race?

• their education?

• where they came from?

• their financial status?

• their appearance?

• their disability?

• their neighborhood?

• their family history?

Or maybe you’ve been the one who was judged.

If we’re honest, most of us have stood on both sides.

I know I have.

There have been moments when I formed opinions based on my own experiences, my own preferences, or my own assumptions. Looking back, I wasn’t seeing people through God’s eyes—I was seeing them through my own.

The truth is…

We rarely know what someone has survived.

We don’t know the battles they’ve fought.

We don’t know the prayers they’ve prayed.

We don’t know what God is doing in their life.

Only God knows the whole story.

As The Color Purple unfolds, something beautiful happens.

Love survives.

Forgiveness wins.

Relationships heal.

Brokenness begins to mend.

What started with judgment eventually ended with grace.

Isn’t that exactly what Jesus did for us?

God looked beyond our failures.

Beyond our sins.

Beyond our brokenness.

Beyond our past.

He saw our future.

He saw our value.

He saw our need for a Savior.

The Bible tells us,

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8

Unlike people, Jesus doesn’t judge us by the outside.

He looks at the heart.

The greatest love story ever written wasn’t Harpo and Sophia.

It was Jesus and humanity.

Jesus willingly laid down His life so we could have eternal life.

He prayed,

“Not My will, but Yours be done.”

He suffered.

He bled.

He died.

He rose again.

All because He loved us.

And because of Him, there is one Name above every other name.

The Name of Jesus.

Sadly, we’ve become so familiar with His Name that many people use it carelessly.

We say His Name when we’re frustrated.

We say His Name as slang.

We even hear people use His holy Name as profanity.

But Scripture tells us not to take the Name of the Lord in vain.

There is power in the Name of Jesus.

At His Name…

• chains are broken.

• demons tremble.

• healing flows.

• peace comes.

• salvation is offered.

• hope is restored.

The Bible declares,

“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Philippians 2:10-11)

What a beautiful Name.

What a powerful Name.

What a faithful Name.

Throughout Scripture, God revealed Himself through many covenant names, each revealing another part of His character.

He is Jehovah Jireh—our Provider.

Jehovah Rapha—our Healer.

Jehovah Shalom—our Peace.

Jehovah Nissi—our Banner of Victory.

Jehovah Rohi—our Shepherd.

Jehovah Tsidkenu—our Righteousness.

Jehovah Shammah—the Lord who is always present.

Jehovah Sabaoth—the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Jehovah Mekoddishkem—our Sanctifier.

Jehovah Elyon—the Most High God.

Jehovah Gmolah—our Rewarder.

Jehovah Hosenu—our Maker.

Jehovah Elohim—our Creator.

Jehovah Adonai—our Sovereign Master.

And above all, He is the great I AM—the eternal, self-existent God who never changes.

Every one of these names reminds us that God is everything we will ever need.

Closing

Maybe today you’ve been judging someone from a distance.

Maybe someone has judged you unfairly.

Or maybe you’ve forgotten just how precious the Name of Jesus really is.

Let’s make a decision today.

Let’s stop judging people by what we see on the outside and start seeing people the way God sees them.

Let’s honor the Name that is above every name.

Let’s speak His Name with reverence.

Let’s call on His Name with faith.

Let’s worship His Name with our whole hearts.

Because one day every title will fade.

Every reputation will disappear.

Every earthly name will eventually be forgotten.

But there is one Name that will remain forever.

The Name above every name.

Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Now that’s not only a beautiful Name…

It’s the Name that saves.