He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true

Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?” Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on my own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.

“Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?” The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?” Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ? However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.” Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.” Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. And many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this man has done?” The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him. Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.” Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

- John 7:14-36

In yesterday’s reading, we read of Jesus going to the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. His brothers have taunted Him to show Himself – these members of His extended family do not believe in Him. He has gone to the Festival “not openly,” or publicly, as His “time has not yet come.” We are told that the crowds are divided in their opinions about Him, while the leadership seeks to kill Him.

Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?” Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on my own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.” Jesus “appears” in the temple, without previous fanfare, and begins to teach. They all marvel at Him; He’s not a rabbinical scholar, not a Scribe, and yet He knows. How does He have this doctrine? Jesus gives them the answer Himself; and again we are in the territory where Jesus has repeatedly distinguished between the glory that belongs to and comes from men, and the glory that is of God – that comes from seeking to do the will of God, to please God. Those who love God will also recognize the soundness of what it is He is teaching. My study bible points out that St. John Chrysostom taught, as a paraphrase of Christ’s words, that if they were to rid themselves of their anger and envy and hatred, they would have no difficulty recognizing the reality of God in what He is teaching. Jesus claims He doesn’t seek His own glory but that of the Father – therefore He “is true, and there is no unrighteousness is in Him.”

“Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?” The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?” Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” We return again to the healing on the Sabbath, and the fact that He told the paralytic to take up his bed and walk (see reading from Wednesday, March 23, 2011). What is God’s work? Jesus has said that this is the work He was doing in this third “sign” or miracle of John’s Gospel: “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” His healing miracle is the true perspective of God’s work in the world, a miraculous gift of health; their emphasis on the letter of the law is missing the point. They are judging by appearance – again the perspective on the honor from men, and not with righteous judgment.

Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ? However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.” Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.” This is another dispute about His origins: Who is He really? He affirms they know where He is from, as a human being – but there is Another who has sent Him, whom they don’t know. Jesus is “from Him” and is sent by Him.

Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. And many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this man has done?” John’s Gospel takes us deeper into the controversy and the stirred up crowds, but “His hour had not yet come.” There are those who believe – they understand what others see only as breaking the law to be signs that only the Christ would do. As some seek to kill Him, others come to faith. It is still a time before the hour of His Passion. My study bible says: “His hour is the time of His suffering and death. Jesus Christ shows Himself to be Lord of time, a prerogative possessed by God alone. He comes to the Cross of His own free will and in His time, not as a result of the political machinations of the Sadduces, Pharisees, and Romans.”

The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him. Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.” Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?” Of course, He is speaking about His death, Resurrection and Ascension. His hearers, my study bible points out, as is so often the case, have no idea what He is talking about. But He is speaking of His own return to the place from which He came, to the One who sent Him. The Gospel once again leads us into territory where His words cannot be understood merely by the “facts” of earthly life; they need depth to begin to understand, a relationship to a deeper spiritual reality – as do we.

How would we understand Christ’s words today, if He were to appear to us as a teacher? Would we understand, or is the context so far out of our reach that we can no longer understand this perspective? What would it be like to be in the presence of Christ, to witness His signs, to hear His teachings? He claims His origins in today’s reading, as the crowd disputes who He is and whether or not He is true, and the leadership seeks to lay their hands on Him. There is no disputing the power with which He speaks, with an authority no one can claim. All things point to His origins and His love for the Father, that He seeks only God’s glory and not His own. Let us understand, then, this perspective that is so important to His teachings when we evaluate the good. What glory do we seek? Whose honor is it that is revealed? How does that relate to what we hear and what we trust? What do we seek in our own lives when we seek truth of any kind? All these things are there for our consideration, and Jesus will always bring them back to us, over and over and over again. Even His signs point to the reality of the Father, and this is where trust begins, and God – the ultimate Good - is revealed.