Prayer
Briefly prepare your heart in silence, and ask the Holy Spirit to awaken your sense of anticipation that God is about to speak to you through His Word. Then, before you read, I invite you to pray this prayer based on Psalm 23:6:
Lord, grant me the assurance
that Your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and that I will dwell in Your Loving Home for ever.
Help me to live in the light of this truth. Amen.
Reading
Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. There was already such a great threat on His life that He initially lay low. However, half way through the Festival (i.e. after about 5 days) He felt compelled to begin ministering publicly. In His opening interaction with people He made the following statement:
16 … ‘My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me … 18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
It’s the second sentence that deserves our close attention, because although Jesus was applying it to Himself, we can also understand it in relation to the way Jesus wants us to live.
In reflecting on it I found it helpful to read it in some different translations; for example:
18 Those who speak on their own authority are trying to gain glory for themselves. But he who wants glory for the one who sent him is honest, and there is nothing false in him. (Good News)
Those who ·teach their own ideas [speak with their own authority] are trying to get ·honor [glory] for themselves. But those who try to bring ·honor [glory] to the one who sent them speak the truth, and there is nothing ·false [or unrighteous] in them. (Expanded Bible)
With reference to Himself, Jesus was declaring that His teaching was never a presentation of His own ideas aimed at attracting attention or praise to Himself. He was not out to impress anyone. His words were always exactly the message that the Father (Who sent Him) had given Him to speak, even when those words made Him very unpopular. Jesus’ only aim was always to please the Father and bring Him glory. Therefore, the authenticity and truthfulness of His words could always be trusted.
And when we apply these words to ourselves as the disciples of Jesus, we are clearly being called not to try to impress people with what we think about the Lord or how clever we are in our supposedly nuanced and sophisticated understanding of the Lord. Instead, we are called to ensure that we always represent Jesus and His message accurately – even when that might make us unpopular or attract dishonour to us. Our aim should only ever be to please the Lord and bring Him glory by representing Him accurately. That way, the authenticity and truthfulness of our words can always be trusted.
Contemplation
Please take time to ponder what Jesus has commanded us. Turn these declarations over and over in your mind. Keep them in mind throughout the day and live in step with Your King, Jesus.
As a disciple of Jesus Christ:
- I will aim to please the Lod and bring Him glory in all I do and say.
- I will strive to represent Jesus and His message accurately in all I do and say.
Lord Jesus, let Your glory shine brightly through my words and deeds today. Amen.
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