Tuesday 23rd of May
John 17:1-11
“Father, it is time for you to glorify me.”
The person who received the most adulation in Jesus’ time was the Roman emperor. He thought that he was a God, but there is a story that when the emperor had a parade celebrating his greatest military victory, he would have a slave in his chariot whisper in his ear, “Glory is fleeting.” We can see that this is still true today, with celebrities who have the most likes on social media today, being forgotten tomorrow.
Jesus was the opposite. When He spoke about glory, He was talking about glorifying God our Father, by finishing God’s work. He loved His disciples to the end by doing the most humiliating thing possible. He died on the cross between 2 criminals. How do we feel when God asks us in prayer to glorify us and Him, by helping someone or speaking to someone when it will take us out of our comfort zone? Do we focus on our own selfish wants like the Roman emperors, or do we look towards our Father in Heaven, like Jesus?