Whose Glory?

John 12:36b-43

Why did some of the leaders of the people refrain from opening confessing their faith in Jesus? According to John’s gospel it was because “…they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God” (John 12:43). This is a sad commentary but it is one that deserves careful consideration in our daily living, for we, too, run the risk of being swayed by our own need for approval or even praise. I think of dogs in particular who can be trained to act in certain ways with the use of praise. Human beings are a ways up the ladder from dogs, of course, but we sometimes find ourselves responding to the same forms of motivation.

God offers a form of glory that is not easy to appreciate in purely human terms. For one thing it calls for patience and hope because God’s glory does not come in the form of instant gratification. For another thing God’s glory is impossible for us to manipulate. By saying certain things or excelling in certain activities, humans can attract significant adulation. God cannot be swayed and certainly cannot be fooled by what we do or who we say we are.

Given the choice between human glory and the glory that comes from God, many will be led astray and choose what they can see and feel in the present life while disregarding the promises of the life of come. Even those who come to recognize the truth in Jesus may fall away when faced with the challenges of discipleship as opposed to what the world offers as normative. The choice is there to be made. Whose glory do we choose?

Prayer: Lord, guide us in our living that we may serve you and seek the glory you offer instead of falling prey to our own egos and our own sinfulness

Face to Face…Or Not

Exodus 33:1-23

What a fascinating account we find in our reading from Exodus for today. “Moses said, ‘Show me your glory, I pray.’ And [the Lord] said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, 'The LORD'…But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.’ And the LORD continued, ‘See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen’” (Exodus 33:18-23).

Add this encounter to the list that includes Abraham’s meeting with God by the Oaks of Mamre (Genesis 18), Isaiah’s experience in the temple (Isaiah 6:1-8), Ezekiel on the bank of the River Chebar (Ezekiel 1), and the stories from Eden when God walked in the garden in the cool of the evening and sought out Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:8f). Only in this case God’s glory is too great for Moses to bear, so God will place the divine hand over Moses’s face until God has passed at which point Moses may see God’s back. God’s hand…God’s back…God’s face! Let that sink in for a second.

What great comfort is to be found in the thought of God’s presence in the midst of humanity calling, leading, teaching, correcting, judging, nurturing and so forth. Time after time God is willing to be encountered and comprehended by men and women. In the fullness of time, of course, God took the form of Jesus Christ and became fully immersed in human life. In Jesus we continue to see God at work calling, leading, teaching, correcting, judging, nurturing and so forth. Only in this case we need not divert our eyes, even from the light of Easter morning.

May each of us have the opportunity to know the presence of God today. May each of us be guided by God’s will as though by the divine hand. May each of us follow in God’s footsteps and know God’s love as a present reality. Does God really have a hand, a back, a face? That’s not really the point. The point is that God is real, and close, and able to be known. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord, may we see you today as you would be seen. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Majesty, Not Monotony

Revelation 4:1-8

In our reading from Revelation this morning the author is escorted into heaven and describes what he sees as he first enters. There is a throne, and the one seated on that throne has the appearance of precious stones, and of light and color. Lightening and thunder cascade from the throne as well. In front of the throne is a sea as calm and bright as crystal. Four living creatures, each in a different form, surround the throne. John tells us, “Day and night without ceasing (the four creatures) sing,

‘Holy, holy, holy,

the Lord God the Almighty,

who was and is and is to come’" (Revelation 4:8).

What a marvelous scene…unless earthly considerations begin to creep into our minds. Is eternity really this cold and sterile? Is everything made of precious stones and constantly lit by flashes of lightening? Is there nothing soft or comfortable to be found? And is there really no break in the singing (or could those four creatures at least pick something else to sing occasionally)? Such concerns are ill-founded, of course. The point of the scene is not the monotony of it all (even grandeur might become tiring after awhile), but the majestic presence of God which John is describing the best way he knows how, with human language and with reference to things that his readers would understand.

I don’t know what to expect in the heavenly court, but I trust it will be nothing of which the human mind could conceive or human words express. Nor should we be focused on what the four creatures are singing “day and night,” only that the praise of God is constant because there is nothing to distract attention from the glory and the majesty. If only our hearts and minds and souls were as focused on God’s glory now as they will be.

Prayer: Lord, help us to live with your praise on our lips and your love in our hearts. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Everything We Do

1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1

There are some messages that are a bit difficult to decipher. Does anyone ever read the fine print of a rental agreement? If we did, would we understand it? Of course life is filled with double-speak and noise. Maybe that’s why a verse from 1 Corinthians caught my attention today. There Paul has a pretty straightforward message for his readers. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,” he says, “do everything for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God, period.

These words are straightforward, yes; but they are full of implications as well. Obviously there are things that we cannot even pretend are for the glory of God. If that is the case, don’t do them. If we feel we have to hide or slink or dart about, then we are not living as we should. But if at all times we are willing to give God the glory then we will find ourselves moving in new directions and living more openly. What Paul is saying really isn’t that difficult to understand. Live as though every thing we do, every movement we make is an act of praise for the Creator. Live in such a way that others will appreciate who God is. Live so that all may see the joy and the anticipation that comes from knowing Christ and him crucified.

Everyday there are a thousand choices to be made, and everyday we will struggle with them. But if our primary consideration involves the glory of God, then by God’s grace we will find those choices to be less imposing and more fulfilling.

Prayer: Lord, help us to live to your glory in all we do, and help us in our living to be guided by your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.