Devotion: John 8:50

John 8:50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 

In today’s passage, we have a verse where Jesus claims He is not seeking glory for Himself. He does not defend Himself when the religious leaders were insulting Him and calling Him a Samaritan (a huge insult in Jewish culture). They were accusing Him of being demon-possessed (John 8:48). But He does not argue with them or try to defend Himself. Instead, He responds calmly that He was not seeking personal glory.

Jesus explained to them that His purpose was not for self-promotion. He was not trying to collect accolades from people. Instead, he redirected the attention to God, stating that His reliance was on the Father, the One who was the true seeker of Jesus’s glory and the Judge of those who were rejecting Him. He knew it was the Father who would vindicate Him and hold the religious leaders accountable for their actions and unbelief.

As believers, we must remember that we do not need to try to defend ourselves when others attack. Jesus is the example we should follow. He faced persecution, ridicule, and they even wanted to stone Him for what they considered to be blasphemy when He commented that “before Abraham was, I am!” (John 8:58).  If Jesus could face all of this and not defend Himself, shouldn’t we do the same?  Shouldn’t we be able to withstand the accusations and verbal attacks in the same manner?

Jesus rejected the pride and personal ambition that the religious leaders were displaying. He modeled a life that was wholly and fully focused on honoring God rather than seeking approval or accolades from others. And that is how we should live our lives. We are not here to try to get attention or to prove ourselves to the world. We are here to serve God, to live a life that is holy and righteous, a life that is different from the world.

Today let’s say the same thing. I am not here to seek glory for myself. And let the world do their own thing. They can’t hurt us. We have a Father Who loves us and it shouldn’t matter what the world has to say. Let them talk. We know the Truthmaker personally.

Prayer: Lord, Help me to live my life modeled after Your example. I do not want to seek glory for myself. I want the glory to be all for You. Amen

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