Saturday 11th February
Read John 5:41-44
““I do not accept glory from human beings, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” (NIVUK)
Jesus gets to the heart of our motivations here. Why do we do what we do? Who are we seeking to impress and why are we seeking to impress them in particular? The contrast is between seeking glory from humans, from those who are beside us, entirely on the same level – which Jesus has no interest in at all (v41) – and seeking glory from above, from the Father.
It is a critical question. Eternal life is at stake. Twice in these final verses Jesus asks them the same question: ‘How can you believe?’ (v44, 47). This issue of seeking glory from each other prevents us from seeking glory from the only one who is worthy enough to grant it – the only one ‘weighty’ enough. For that is what ‘glory’ literally means – heavy or weighty – having enough gravity in themselves to warrant undivided attention.
It is the question of Babel revisited. The people of the plain sought to ‘make a name for themselves’ (Genesis 11:4), a name built together by collective acceptance and authority. A mutual back-scratching agreement between humans to make themselves seem important. It was present then and it is just as present now. The challenge for us is to recognise it, reject it within the church community, remove it from our own hearts and encourage each other to worship and praise the only One who is indeed worthy of glory.
