Tuesday 31st October
Read John 8:49-51
“‘I am not possessed by a demon,’ said Jesus, ‘but I honour my Father and you dishonour me. 50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.’” (NIVUK)
It is easy once the name-calling begins to descend into increasingly bitter barbs. Our instinct is always to defend ourselves, to defend our name and honour. Jesus has been accused of being a demon-possessed half-breed. The accusation arises because they think He is seeking fame and honour for Himself and needs to pull them down to lift Himself up. Nothing could be further from the truth though and Jesus’ response is illuminating.
His response involves a simple denial and then an explanation, to make it clear, that He does not seek honour and glory for Himself. He is not giving Himself undue ‘weight’, which is one of the meanings of ‘glory’ in Scripture. He is not making Himself out to be more than He is – which at heart is what we all too often unwittingly, or deliberately, do. He rejects the accusation, but He does not escalate it.
The reason He can be calm in the face of terrible abuse is because ultimately He knows who will be judged right, and who is the judge. Glory, weightiness, is bestowed by God. The more we understand that the more we ourselves may be able to stand up under slander and abuse and not get caught up in defending our own, so-called, honour. Paul seems to have grasped this point and wants the Corinthian church to grasp it also.
“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.” (1 Corinthians 4:2-5) (NIVUK)
