Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
~John 12:42-43 ESV
If you think Jesus is a divisive figure today, you have a good glimpse into how he was perceived as his ministry progressed during his time on earth. The things he was doing and saying were impossible to ignore, and everyone had an opinion.
But John gives us a startling insight in chapter 12 of his book: many people believed in Jesus but wouldn’t publicly admit it. Or maybe this isn’t surprising—but the reason John gives should have us all doing a gut check. These were real people who believed in Jesus, but loved human glory more than God’s glory.
John is telling us that there are situations that have the symptoms of glory: Status (in this case, status in the synagogue). Wealth. Comfort. A massive following on social media. Beauty. Powerful friends. Influence.
But this glossy, seductive appearance of glory isn’t the kind of glory Jesus modeled. He had followers. He had influence—more influence than anyone understood! Yet he avoided using any of that to gain worldly currency for himself. He continually pointed to his Father as the only source of genuine, lasting glory.
In his letter to the Philippians (2:5-7), Paul wrote about this aspect of Jesus’ character:
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant….”
In the kingdom of God, glory can look like humility. It can look like obedience, like serving others—it can even look like suffering. It can sound like passing the praise to the Father rather than accepting it for ourselves. In a have-it-all world, this is a reminder we need.
What kind of glory do you love?
Today: Lent is traditionally a season for reflection. Slow down for long enough to ask yourself what you really want in life. It’s a big question! But it’s worth asking if the things that come to mind are symptoms—accessories—of glory, or things like glory and joy themselves. Are the things we crave the things that come from God, or things that come from men?
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Meditations written by Meghan Blosser.