[T]hey loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God.
Jesus is talking about how Isaiah prophesied about Jesus, and many people including the leaders believed Isaiah. But because the Pharisees didn’t believe, they believers didn’t confess what they believed. The reason? They loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God. Ouch.
So these were believers, so they got part of the equation right. But out of fear from human criticism, they didn’t profess or confess what they believed.
Here we sit thousands of years later and I fear this pattern persists. We can believe whole-heartedly at worship, and then when we leave the safety of like-minded believers, we clam up. Oh, to be sure each of us takes our faith into the world in some small way. But when the going gets tough, I wonder what I’d do.
I recently moved from a corner of the US with a preponderance of people who’d respond ‘none’ to the question about religion on demographic forms. One city I lived was known for its uber-welcoming and accommodating vibe. Except the one thing I experienced that wasn’t always welcome was organized religion. I was frequently uncomfortable walking around in clerical shirts.
The other thing the community was not welcoming about was the military. My son was in the National Guard and in the neighboring city, there were frequently comments of ‘Thanks for your service’, or offers of people getting the doors. Not so in our community.
It’s not so much that I sought glory, but I certainly was affected by the scorn. My light, outside of church, didn’t shine quite as bright.
I know that God’s glory is far more valuable, and yet…. How do we disregard human glory? How do we, as believers similar to those in Jesus’ time, believe and profess for God’s glory, regardless of whether it results in human glory or scorn?
I’m not sure of the answer, but I’m glad to have spotted this interesting challenge as Jesus talked about the people who had faith but couldn’t profess.
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