Glory

What does glory mean to you?

This sermon was inspired by John 13:21-32 (CEB) and preached at St. John's, Decatur, AL on the Wednesday of Holy Week.

Attaining high honor in this world comes in many forms. Locally, it might look like receiving a platinum Christmas Tour award or being elected Mardi Gras King or Queen. Globally, we recognize magnificence in a Nobel Peace Prize recipient or an Olympic Gold medalist. Almost all of us yearn for a prize of one sort or another. Something hardwired within each of us propels us to seek glory, but why?

During the early stages of discerning if God was calling me to ordained ministry, I spoke with the priest at the church of my childhood. His name is Marc Burnette. And, in the midst of one conversation he dispensed a helpful truth about our nature—and why it is we might seek glory. In the dialogue he asked what was drawing me deeper into this discernment process. I responded by talking about how important Christian community is to me. He asked me why I thought this was so relevant. I answered with what I thought—as a naïve 20 year-old—what I thought was a very insightful realization. “Community is important to me because of how it shapes us and can inspire us to be better,” I said. In a very kind way, Fr. Marc steered the discussion to deeper waters.

“Community emanates not only from our human desires, but from the source of all life,” he said. Fr. Marc then highlighted the relationship that God has within the Trinity itself. Even before anything was created community was present in the life of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Thus, our pursuit for dwelling together in community comes from God who created all things. Fr. Marc’s words not only illuminated our desire for community, but also our desire to seek glory within a community. I believe we want to achieve some high honor, so that we might connect more deeply with others. The trouble is this is not what usually happens.

At the purest level, we may seek glory because we are yearning consciously or otherwise to unite with others. We think if others see this thing we have done or been awarded, then we will be accepted. The desire here is not bad—we want to dwell more fully with others—however, what sort of connection gets made when people only like us for our status? What credit is it to us when we simply like someone for their prizes or medals on her shelf? Yes, everyone likes a winner, but what about God? What does glory look like to God?

As a runner, I have always been drawn to Hebrews 12:1-3. But, running like so many other of life’s endeavors has this tricky sort of amnesia about it. Sure, right now I want to run a marathon, but in the middle of tough training and certainly at mile 23 I will think, “I am never doing this again.” In the middle of a race when everything is falling apart glory is the furthest thing from a runner’s mind. Simply continuing through to the end, finishing the race is what leads a runner home. Oddly this journey through suffering and pain that runners endure, gives us a glimpse into the glory of God—a glory that God reveals not through runners, but through the Human One who endures to the end.

Today, we find ourselves sitting with the Human One—Jesus—and his disciples on the night before Jesus’ betrayal, crucifixion, and death. During this last supper Jesus’ betrayer emerges not from some alien place, but from within this group of friends. After Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and before he gave his commandment to love one another, Jesus chose Judas to hand him over. The starkness of Judas’ exit leads to the detail within this story that it was night. This moment seems far from the brightness we associate with glory, and yet, Jesus’ own words point to the splendor of God even in this dark time.

“Now the Human One has been glorified and God has been glorified in him.” What a strange instant to speak of God’s glory. God is honored not in what the world says is successful, noteworthy, or high-achieving. Instead, God is glorified in a time of betrayal. But, is it really the betrayal that leads to glory?

More than Judas’ actions on that night long ago, what stands out as glorious even to this day is God’s continuing love. God through Christ Jesus unrelentingly loved the disciples, including Judas. Christ Jesus loved them even as they all scattered, quit, and hid. What about us who follow Jesus today? All of us scatter, quit, and hid. All of us run—not with Jesus—but away from him. Still, he continues to love us. This is what God’s glory looks like.

The eternal nature of God—Father, Son, and Spirit—is a love that never ends, never stops, never dies. It continues to be poured out within itself and into all of Creation always. This is true glory. A love that does not end. Jesus glorified the Father through his continual love and it is only this that leads us into glory.