THE STORY OF JESUS: John 5:41-47
“I do not accept glory from human beings…” (John 5:41)
What does it mean to give glory to someone?
It is to praise, honour, celebrate, or boast about them.
Everyone lives for an audience; we want to feel loved and valued.
We seek love and value, because that is what we lost when we left God.
Without God, we starve for love and value, and do almost anything to get it.
A heart void of God’s love is desperate for love and affirmation.
Jesus challenges these religious leaders – they are void of God’s love.
Therefore, they accept anything that feeds the void.
Anyone that serves them by affirming and glorifying them.
If they truly served Moses, they would be serving and loving God.
And they would see in Jesus that He too was not serving Himself, but God.
Jesus basically says: ‘I don’t need your praise, I got God’s love!’
Am I serving God, out of the fullness of His love?
Or am I serving myself, out of the the emptiness within my soul?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, remind me that I do not need to impress anyone to get their approval, because You already love and value me, and Your love excels all others.