Praise and Glory
What do we want people to notice about us?
When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going. The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal." - John 6:16-27
Do we want people to see the good works we do and praise God? Or do we want praise for ourselves?
Jesus knows that his followers are intrigued by the things he does, but he chastises them anyway, criticizing them for wanting personal gain. In this case, they were hungry and they were fed.
I will admit that I enjoy the praise I get for the things I do. There is a certain amount of praise we all yearn for, and it feels good to be recognized for doing good.
But Jesus reminds us that there is a source of that goodness and love, and we should remember to acknowledge that source in our daily lives.
One way to do that is to give God credit. When people thank us for our kindness, we should tell them it is God working through us.
It is God who employs me to feed the hungry and raise people up with respect and dignity.
If people can see God in me, my reward is great, for what better joy is there than to become like God?
More to come...