Glory
Read John 13:31-38.
In our last move, we packed up all the kids' soccer trophies (after dusting them off and clearing out the cobwebs), put them in a box...and that's where they still are. In a box, in the shed, ready to be passed on to them when they get their own houses (so they sit in boxes there...and the cycle continues). They're right next to the box of trophies my parents gave me from my youth...carefully (sort of) packed and collecting dust. I don't want to get rid of them, but I also have no use for them. They reflect the "glory" of my youth.
I thought of that again when one of our Upward surveys came back asking why we don't give trophies out to the participants. That comment, I believe, reflects our human desire to have something that shows off our (or our kids') "glory" to others. Our perceived glory. Shiny trophies, pristine certificates framed on a wall, medals that we wear around our neck or even the desired "cash prize" show that we have achieved something, that there is glory in our ordinary lives, that we are somebody.
And that's why we shake our heads in confusion at this conversation in the Upper Room. Since John doesn't tell us about the dinner, we don't really know if this took place before or after dinner (my guess is after), but Jesus is thinking about glory. However, he's not talking about trophies or medals or gaining more shekels. He's thinking about his upcoming death.
Jesus' sole purpose as the Son of God is to bring glory to the Father. (There are whole discussions to be had here about the nature of the Trinity, but that's not the purpose of my blog today!) He would do that by following the Father's will, by giving his life for the sake of humanity. (Again, there is a whole discussion to he had here about the nature of Jesus' sacrifice, but that too will have to wait for another time.) Jesus will bring glory to the Father (and, by default, to himself as well) as he hangs on a cross.
This is glory we do not understand. There are no trophies. There is no crowd shouting acclaim. There is no victory lap. There is pain and suffering. The pain, in fact, will be so bad that a whole new word is created to describe it: excruciating (meaning, literally, "out of the cross"). How in the world can Jesus giving his life be any form of glory? Wouldn't it be more glorious to establish a kingdom and rule on earth, as the disciples seem to assume he will?
Ah, but that's the rub: an earthly kingdom would be only temporary. What Jesus is doing will establish an eternal kingdom. And there are trophies: every person he saves is his trophy, not locked away in a shed somewhere, but sent out to win more to his cause and his kingdom. And there is a crowd shouting acclaim: those gathered around the cross shouted out to shame him, but every week in millions upon millions of locations around the world, his trophies gather to celebrate this suffering savior. And the resurrection is the victory lap. It's why Easter is the high point of the Christian year. He is not dead any longer; he is risen! Glory be to God!
There is glory here, at the cross. We just need his eyes to see it. And when we see it, how can we help but spread it?
In our last move, we packed up all the kids' soccer trophies (after dusting them off and clearing out the cobwebs), put them in a box...and that's where they still are. In a box, in the shed, ready to be passed on to them when they get their own houses (so they sit in boxes there...and the cycle continues). They're right next to the box of trophies my parents gave me from my youth...carefully (sort of) packed and collecting dust. I don't want to get rid of them, but I also have no use for them. They reflect the "glory" of my youth.
I thought of that again when one of our Upward surveys came back asking why we don't give trophies out to the participants. That comment, I believe, reflects our human desire to have something that shows off our (or our kids') "glory" to others. Our perceived glory. Shiny trophies, pristine certificates framed on a wall, medals that we wear around our neck or even the desired "cash prize" show that we have achieved something, that there is glory in our ordinary lives, that we are somebody.
And that's why we shake our heads in confusion at this conversation in the Upper Room. Since John doesn't tell us about the dinner, we don't really know if this took place before or after dinner (my guess is after), but Jesus is thinking about glory. However, he's not talking about trophies or medals or gaining more shekels. He's thinking about his upcoming death.
Jesus' sole purpose as the Son of God is to bring glory to the Father. (There are whole discussions to be had here about the nature of the Trinity, but that's not the purpose of my blog today!) He would do that by following the Father's will, by giving his life for the sake of humanity. (Again, there is a whole discussion to he had here about the nature of Jesus' sacrifice, but that too will have to wait for another time.) Jesus will bring glory to the Father (and, by default, to himself as well) as he hangs on a cross.
This is glory we do not understand. There are no trophies. There is no crowd shouting acclaim. There is no victory lap. There is pain and suffering. The pain, in fact, will be so bad that a whole new word is created to describe it: excruciating (meaning, literally, "out of the cross"). How in the world can Jesus giving his life be any form of glory? Wouldn't it be more glorious to establish a kingdom and rule on earth, as the disciples seem to assume he will?
Ah, but that's the rub: an earthly kingdom would be only temporary. What Jesus is doing will establish an eternal kingdom. And there are trophies: every person he saves is his trophy, not locked away in a shed somewhere, but sent out to win more to his cause and his kingdom. And there is a crowd shouting acclaim: those gathered around the cross shouted out to shame him, but every week in millions upon millions of locations around the world, his trophies gather to celebrate this suffering savior. And the resurrection is the victory lap. It's why Easter is the high point of the Christian year. He is not dead any longer; he is risen! Glory be to God!
There is glory here, at the cross. We just need his eyes to see it. And when we see it, how can we help but spread it?
I love this!
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