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Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Let your ways be known on earth,
your saving power among the nations.
Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief
your only Son was lifted up
that he might draw the whole world to himself.
May we walk this day in the way of the cross
and always be ready to share its weight,
declaring your love for all the world.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever.
John 8.51-59
Jesus said to the Jews, ‘Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.’ The Jews said to him, ‘Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, “Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.” Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, “He is our God”, though you do not know him. But I know him; if I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.’ Then the Jews said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.’ So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
Reflection
Jesus said: If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing.
We, like the vast majority of those amongst whom we live, expend a great deal of time in glorifying ourselves. We create a public persona which glosses over our shortcomings and the poor decisions that lie hidden in our earlier lives. We project a level of expertise that is usually far beyond our true level of competence. Sometimes our real stories become totally obscured as we re-invent ourselves as the people we would like to have been. Whether these fictions are intentionally created and perpetuated, or whether they simply evolve as one ‘slight inaccuracy’ grows into a whole series of untruths we, like all those around us, seek to glorify ourselves.
In recent times we have become more aware of the long-term damage that can be done by events that shaped our early lives. Constant derogatory remarks about our intellectual capabilities can leave us feeling stupid and inadequate. A seemingly endless barrage of parental criticism can leave us feeling worthless. The obvious placing of our younger selves at the back of a long queue of other priorities can leave us feeling inadequate, worthless and having nothing of value to offer to the world in which we live. It is in these circumstances that we often find ourselves creating a subconscious new personality, a personality in which we cast ourselves as the hero of the story we live out from day to day. Instead of allowing others to value us for who we really are, we glorify ourselves, and that self-glorification is nothing.
Jesus, the one who was with God at the dawn of time, came to earth to build a new bridge between humanity and God. Even Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah, recognised that his human self was nothing unless it was glorified by his heavenly Father. In Jesus we see no pretence, no falsehood. In Jesus we see the Son of God walking amongst us. His preaching and teaching, his ministry of healing and his other miraculous signs caused the crowds to flock around him, to glorify the miracle worker, the worker of the impossible. But, Jesus was neither deceived nor swayed by the glorification of the crowds. For Jesus, the only glorification he sought was that of his Father. Jesus knew that the crowds were fickle. Jesus knew that their hosannas were destined to become cries of: Crucify him!
As we live out our daily lives we are called to walk humbly in this world. We are called to set self to one side and to love and serve in the Lord’s name. We are called to remain true and faithful to our Lord and Saviour, and to do that without pretension or deceit. Let us pray that we might turn our backs on the need for self-glorification and that others may come to glorify God through the simplicity and honesty of our lives, lives lived in the true faith.
Prayers
With faith and love and in union with Christ,
let us offer our prayer before the throne of grace.
Have mercy on your people,
for whom your Son laid down his life:
Lord, in your mercy – hear our prayer.
Bring healing and wholeness to people and nations,
and have pity on those torn apart by division:
Lord, in your mercy – hear our prayer.
Strengthen all who are persecuted for your name’s sake,
and deliver them from evil:
Lord, in your mercy – hear our prayer.
Look in mercy upon all who suffer,
and hear those who cry out in pain and desolation:
Lord, in your mercy – hear our prayer.
Bring comfort to the dying,
and gladden their hearts with the vision of your glory:
Lord, in your mercy – hear our prayer.
Give rest to the departed
and bring them, with your saints, to glory everlasting:
Lord, in your mercy – hear our prayer.
Let us commend the world, for which Christ died,
to the mercy and protection of God.
Gracious Father,
you gave up your Son
out of love for the world:
lead us to ponder the mysteries of his passion,
that we may know eternal peace
through the shedding of our Saviour’s blood,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Standing at the foot of the cross,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Christ crucified draw us to himself,
to find in him a sure ground for faith,
a firm support for hope,
and the assurance of sins forgiven;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us and remain with us always.
Amen.