I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you

 "I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.  If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.  There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true.  You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.  Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.  He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.  But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.  And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me.  You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.  But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.  You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.  But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.  I do not receive honor from men.  But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.  I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.  How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?  Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust.  For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

- John 5:30-47

In yesterday's reading, Jesus responded to accusations from the leadership after healing a man on the Sabbath.  Specifically, they were outraged at His statements of equality with the Father.   Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.  For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.  For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.  He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.  Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, then the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."

"I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."  Here my study bible points out that the divine will is common to the three Persons of the Trinity -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- for all fully share the same divine nature.  When the Son says that He obeys the Father, this refers to His human will, which the Son assumed at His Incarnation.  Christ freely aligned His human will in every aspect with the divine will of the Father -- and so sets an example for us that we are to do likewise.

If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.  There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true.  You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.  Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.  He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.  But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.  And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me.  You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.  But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.  You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.  But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.  I do not receive honor from men.  But I know you, that you do not have the love of  God in you.  I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.  How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?  Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust.  For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"  In this section, Jesus offers to the authorities four witnesses to His identity as Son and Messiah.  (He anticipates the thoughts and arguments of these men in saying, "If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true."  See also Luke 4:23 for a similar anticipation.  Of course His witness is true.  But they do not believe Him, so He is offering other witnesses.)  In Jewish tradition, a valid testimony requires two witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6).  Jesus offers four.  In order of reference in these verses they are John the Baptist, the works the Father has given Christ to do, the Father Himself, and the Old Testament Scriptures through which Moses and others gave testimony to Him.

Jesus offers four witness to His identity.  But He also anticipates that these men will not believe those witnesses either.  Why?  There's a powerful thread running through this passage that speaks to us about the nature of faith itself.  Jesus says, "I do not receive honor from men.  But I know you, that you do not have the love of  God in you.  I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.  How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?"  According to what Jesus is saying, the love of God creates a connection that gives us a kind of understanding, a perception of those who also have this love in them.   Jesus contrasts this with those who receive honor from men.   There is such an important emphasis here that it is essential that we try to understand what He's saying.  What does it mean when He says, "I do not receive honor from men"?  To receive honor from men is perhaps a statement about a purely worldly perspective.  Jesus says that if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.  In other words, if it is a worldly glory alone one focuses on, then we'll miss the honor that comes from God.  He implies that there is a choice to be made here.  He doesn't diminish actions and achievements in the world, but rather He focuses in on the choice we make in terms of what gives us value.   In whose honor do we place our trust?  By whose word do we live?  The focus on personal glory is a self-centered perspective rather than a Godly perspective.  It is one that turns away the basic love of God in the heart for a different, limited, self-centered focus.  And in this Jesus divides those who can perceive Him and those who cannot.  It begins with that basic choice within ourselves, and so much depends, in our own capacity for perception, on this basic and fundamental choice in the heart.  We take our identities from it, we perceive our very reality by it.  And if we fail to connect that love of God within ourselves, then we will miss so much.  He offers them four witnesses, and yet even these men who "search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" fail to find that life which He is offering them, because the love of God isn't in them.  These are the words Christ offers us -- and so there is a challenge here to we who also study the Scriptures.  Without this basic love of God, all our study does us no good.  We will fail to understand them, and fail to perceive Him.  We can conclude as well that in accordance with His words, without this love in our hearts, we'll also fail to see God's work in the present moment, in our lives, and in our world, and the choices we're being called upon to make.  That connection of love within becomes, with Jesus' teachings, the all-important core of everything about our faith and our understanding of His words.   Let us remember, and kindle that place of love, in all the ways that we can.