Scripture: I have come in my Father’s name, and yet you don’t accept me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, since you accept glory from one another but don’t seek the glory that comes from the only God? John 5:43-44
Observation: As Jesus is responding to questions about who he is - and proof of that identity - he provides a comprehensive list of those who "testify" about him. In no particular order, that list includes: the Lord, the Holy Spirit, John the Baptist, Moses, all the scriptures, and the works he has done in the name of Yahweh. To the Jewish leaders, that is effectively 'everyone and everything'.
Jesus is directly criticizing their understanding of Messiah, calling out how everything in the history of the Jews - from the first writings of Moses, to the one voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way - provided every indication of Messiah, and now that Jesus fulfills all those elements, they want some earthly testimony from him before they will accept it. Jesus points out this as their major failure ... they are experts in the Law, memorizing everything it says, yet clearly do not and cannot understand nor apply it to the truth they are witnessing. In this way, it is the Law itself that will judge them, for they claim to believe it, yet clearly do not believe it.
And what do they believe? They believe in the things of the earth. They don't believe in the truth that is testified before them by the Lord, through his word, yet they will believe an earthly human who answers their questions. They will look at someone who does good work on earth and accept them as strong, good, and glorious, yet they reject the person who does the glorious work of God as direct evidence of greatness. Even as 'religious' leaders, they have learned to judge quality based on earthly criteria, and not based on the Lord's criteria, even when such criteria are defined in scripture.
Application: This is truly a core issue for society today ... a collectively mindset that defines greatness based on earthly criteria, then judges everyone and everything against that criteria. It even reaches the point whereby, as the criteria changes, so too do judgments of who and what is good retroactively. Since by definition something that is "true" cannot change, this is by definition a rejection of truth. And yet this approach to seeking "truth" and "greatness" is everywhere, embraced by our society today.
God's truth should be the only criteria for judging ... anything, and that truth comes from an understanding of his word. Yes, I personally fail to use God's word as my measuring rod for everything, every day, however I do know that should be the criteria. So many reject that criteria.
My heart breaks most for the churches that have rejected the criteria. There is a major difference between ignorance and rejection of God's word ... Jesus is very clear about that. Declaring that one loves God, yet rejects the authority of his word, is a dangerous path.
Personally, I hope I care less and less about 'glory' that comes from one another - from the criteria of this world - and seek more and more the glory that comes from only God. And that glory is love found in Jesus as my Lord and savior.
Prayer: Lord, may I care less and less about the things of this world, and the issue, values, and truths of this society and time in which I live. May I care more and more every day about you, and about your people whom you love. Amen.