Observation: Jesus finishes a sermon about how he will soon be lifted up on a cross and draw all people to himself. His advice to those listening is to "walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you." After his sermon is done, the evangelist says many privately come to believe in Jesus, but don't outwardly follow him because of social pressure: "They loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God."
Application: This last line is what really hits home in a major way. Following Jesus is hard enough when it seems to fit with accepted social and cultural norms. Worse yet, it almost never does. Jesus says "the truth will set you free," but it won't make you popular. If we take a good, long look at the way our culture views power, and those who have it, truth, and those who tell it, we know it's all too common an ailment to value human glory over God's glory. It's politically expedient, and frankly it's safer. If we take a long look in the mirror, we may find that some ways we choose to move through this world are part of the problem.
Fortunately for us, Jesus' light shines even in the depths of our darkness, and we can't overcome it. What he accomplished on the cross for us cannot be undone.
Prayer: God, dwell with us and point us away from our own so-called glory, to value yours.
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