John 5:44
How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
This was a part of a rebuke and discourse directed to the religious leaders during the time of Christ. He spoke to them of there acts of piety and of the religious social realm in which they lived. You could probably assume that it was kind of like today. “Who is your favorite preacher? Rabbi John. Oh yea well we were fishing the other day and all he could talk about was how much he enjoyed you prayers. Oh really How about that, but have you seen the congregation at his temple they are wild and crazy…” Can you catch my drift. Christ speaks to them in there vanity of purpose and challenges all that they have founded there lives on. They sought the joy of the life of religion the benefits of being known religiously. But Christ spoke of whole “nother” type of life.
To the typical pharisee, Sadducee, pastor, and preacher it is a common way of living life to drifting into the social game of vain gratification, born from and self sustained with in the church or temple. But Christ came and spoke with authority. He spent all night in prayer and then spoke. He was led by the spirit of God into the wilderness and led a powerful life avoiding a physical Kingship (John 6:15), avoiding yelling in the streets (Isaiah 42:2), and telling people not to tell others who he was (Matt 9:30). Can you get a mental glimpse of this kind of life, the guy you never see but everything is upside down because of Him, he tip toes around in the non typical parts of town teaching and healing those who don’t have much influence or knowledge. He was just a silent blip on the radar of history, but the glory of the Father shattered all that is time and space with His life.
Can you see your life in light of this message. My life has looked more like the typical Pharisee than like that of Christ. But you know what? Recently I started to taste how good it would feel to live a life giving the glory to the Father silently. Donating money to a cause, but not telling anyone that I did it. Praying to the Father in silent but not looking for answers or resolutions. Coming out of the prayer closet speaking softly and gently apoligizing to someone who is angry with me.
Have you ever been around a person who spoke and you didn’t look down on them for how dumb they sounded, or you didn’t wish you were like them for how smart they sounded. Maybe they have been with the Father, learning how to be kind and to speak effectively. Learning how to serve those around them with there words not looking to make much of them selves.
Christ said of John the Baptist,
Matthew 17:11 To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.
This life can be a powerful tool in the hands of God. But who’s hands are you in?
Collision of Kingdoms 