The crowd responded, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Human One must be lifted up? Who is this Human One?” Jesus replied, “The light is with you for only a little while. Walk while you have the light so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness don’t know where they are going. As long as you have the light, believe in the light so that you might become people whose lives are determined by the light.” After Jesus said these things, he went away and hid from them. Jesus had done many miraculous signs before the people, but they didn’t believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of the prophet Isaiah:
Lord, who has believed through our message?
To whom is the arm of the Lord fully revealed?
Isaiah explains why they couldn’t believe:
He made their eyes blind
and closed their minds
so that they might not see with their eyes,
understand with their minds,
and turn their lives around—
and I would heal them.
Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus’ glory; he spoke about Jesus. Even so, many leaders believed in him, but they wouldn’t acknowledge their faith because they feared that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. They believed, but they loved human praise more than God’s glory. Jesus shouted, “Whoever believes in me doesn’t believe in me but in the one who sent me. Whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I have come as a light into the world so that everyone who believes in me won’t live in darkness. If people hear my words and don’t keep them, I don’t judge them. I didn’t come to judge the world but to save it. Whoever rejects me and doesn’t receive my words will be judged at the last day by the word I have spoken. I don’t speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me regarding what I should speak and say. I know that his commandment is eternal life. Therefore, whatever I say is just as the Father has said to me.” (John 12:34-50, CEB)
Why do you do the things you do?
I was at a meeting the day I wrote this and someone asked me when I started wearing rainbow gauges and painting my nails. They were wondering if this was part of my call to campus ministry. And while I could say yes, the answer is no. Yes it is a part of my call because no it is just who I am. I do not put on a mask for any one. I do the things I do because I believe this is the way God made me. I hid part of that on calls in the past and that didn’t help me or the congregation I was serving.
We can not hide who we are. the reading said they believed but they loved human praise more than God’s glory. If you look for the praise of men, it won’t work out.
Be who God created you to be, and know that God has a plan.
Look to share God’s love and not to get the praise of humans.
Loving People. Loving God.
aSacredRebel 