He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. (John 7:18 NAS95)
The crowd wondered about Jesus. They had their eye out for Him at the feast, but Jesus hadn’t arrived yet. The scuttlebutt around town rendered a confused picture for the people. Many considered Him a good man, but others thought He led people astray, including the leaders, who wanted Him to disappear. Rumor had it they wanted Jesus dead. Suddenly, Jesus entered the temple and taught. His words astonished and amazed the crowd. No one had ever taught like this, especially someone uneducated. His words rang true and spoke of God and His Kingdom in such a way that sounded like He lived the story instead of just read about it.
In the defense of His teaching, Jesus revealed an interior life that had an obvious center. He dwelled upon His Father’s glory. He desired deeply for people to see His God accurately. No self-centeredness found in Jesus, only God-centeredness. Jesus’ heart understanding of His Father possessed such positive strength that nothing could displace it. His heart beat as one with the Father’s. The natural result of such an interior life overflowed in making people aware of His Father’s overwhelming love such that they would desire to know Him. Jesus’ life reflected the love that consumed Him. Communion with the Father has unspeakable worth!
For Reflection:
“On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.” (Psalms 145:5 NAS95)
- How naturally does meditating on God, His character, love and provision come to you? What distracts you from holding His character clear in your heart?
- When you slow down to listen to the rustlings of your heart, what do you usually hear? How easily do you turn to God in prayer with the contents of your heart?
