Going for glory

One of the most natural things about human beings is the desire for glory. Right now the Yankees and the Phillies are fighting for glory in the world series, while Brett Farve had another moment of glory as he destroyed his old team Green Bay throwing 4 touchdown passes. Glory is desired by movie stars and musicians, and many get it..from time to time. It is the kind of glory that puts you on a pedestal, a place where people look up and they will either honor you, or will try to shoot you down...Oh, the price of glory.

In John 17:1b Jesus prays, "Father the time has come for you to bring glory to your son, in order that he may bring glory to you." (CEV) In these verses, Jesus was bringing about a whole new perspective on glory as he approached the day of his own torture and death. In this verses, Jesus is acknowledging that His torture and death will be a means of glorification to God, that the whole world will acknowledge God for the most remarkable way in which Jesus accepted what was to befall Him. On that crucifixion day such a notion seemed absurd, yet history shows us that Christians have since given God glory for that day above any other day. For Christ it was the ultimate selfless act, one that points us all to The Father who then took Jesus back to Heaven...back to glory.

My friend Jim has a rare and incurable form of cancer. Despite being given 3 - 6 months to live, he continues to soldier on some 15 months later - thanks to Gods grace and some experimental treatments. I was in Texas with him this past weekend, where Jim was a special guest who had the chance to be with people, to lead music groups and to preach on Sunday morning. Everybody was delighted to see him and marvelled at how well he seems to be doing. They interpret his well being through his smile and his love of people, to his ability to come to every meeting and his lingering at the end of the meeting to talk to anybody that wants to talk to him. But what Jim is actually doing is to glorify the Father. His body is suffering terribly and a large tumor could take his life at any time. His legs are wrapped with surgical bandages and he is terribly fatigued...but you would never know. He is proclaiming the grace of God...and he is bringing glory to God. I still believe in miracles, I still believe in healing...but Jim, by bringing glory to God, will have the ultimate reward some day. will become a recipient of God's glory for him.