Reflection on John 13:31-35

 

You are put on this earth to glorify God.  Let me say that again: you are put on this earth to glorify God. 

I have to make an embarrassing admission right now, up until about three months ago I had no idea what “glorifying God” actually meant.  Here I am, a pastor for almost 20 years and I had never given a passing thought to what “giving God the glory” is all about. 

When I was 5 years old, the pastor was saying that we should “Glorify God.”  But, I was certain that our pastor was saying that we should “Horrify God.”  It is slightly different.  Now, horrifying God…as a kid I was certain that I had that one down pat.  I hoped that God had a sense of humor because I had a myriad of ways by which I could “horrify” God, the details of which I will not embarrass myself by relating to you now.

“Glorify God” I was told by my Sunday School teacher.  “Glorify.”  We do not “horrify God,” we “glorify God. 

And, in with those crushing words, my Sunday School teacher took away all the fun from church.  I never thought about “glorifying” again, until about three months ago.

About three months ago I heard a guy talking about shaping his life so that he glorified God.  The discussion sort of caught me off guard because I had always had some sort of vague idea that glorifying God was sort of like praising God.  And, it is sort of like praising God, but what this man was talking about ran so much deeper in his life than singing a couple of nice praise songs.  So, that got me to researching this idea that we were put on this earth to glorify God.  I do not know if you get excited by learning new things, but this got me excited. 

I want to share some of that excitement with you.  We are going to learn what it means to “glorify God” by talking about the CEO of Toyota, love, and bed sheets.  I know, I know, that hardly sounds like a story to be telling in church, but I assure you that you will not need to cover any innocent ears in the hearing of this sermon.

The CEO of Toyota, love, and bed sheets; first the CEO of Toyota.  In 2010 the CEO of Toyota, the grandson of the founder of the company, publicly apologized for safety issues regarding the dangerous acceleration of some Toyota produced vehicles.  Lives were lost, and the company that prided itself on quality and safety were facing an enormous recall. 

“I am deeply sorry,” the CEO expressed honestly.  This shame-filled admission was kind of striking in the business world at the time.  We are used to CEOs who try to blame someone else, or who dig in their heels and declare that there is nothing wrong when there is obviously something wrong.  So, why was this CEO so different?  Well, he explains in his own words, 

"My name is on every car. You have my personal commitment that Toyota will work vigorously and unceasingly to restore the trust of our customers."

And, there you have it, “My name is on every car.”  This is a matter of honor and shame.  In fact, much like the ancient world of the Bible, Japan is an honor and shame culture.  In such a culture you find your value in what others think of you.  In honor and shame cultures, one would never say, “I don’t care what others think of me,” because the only way you get value in such a culture is by what others think of you. 

More than that; all that people do and say who are considered to be under your care and supervision, (employees, slaves, children, etc.) reflects not on them, but directly on you.  The CEO did not buy cheaply produces car parts in order to grow the company quickly.  No, he had managers and assistant managers who made those fatal mistakes.  But, it is his name that is on the car, “Toyota.”  It is his grandfather who started the company.  Either the people under him give him honor, or they dishonor him.  But, it is he who has to bear the honor or the shame.

So, what does this have to do with glorifying God?  Everything!  You see, when Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once,” we could replace all of those glorifying words with the word “honor” (NRSV, John 13:31-32).  In the Greek, that actually makes a lot more sense.  In the same way that the employees of Toyota bring honor to their CEO and to his name if they do well, and shame if they do not, the same is true for Jesus, God’s Son.

But, Jesus does not bring shame to God’s name; not at all.  The Bible says that God has been “glorified,” or “shown honor” by the actions and life of Jesus Christ.  In other words, God looks like a good God because we see that God’s Son is good. 

This is what “glorifying” is all about.  It is about doing the things that God would do so that God is seen in a good light. 

So, here is the scary part: the Bible indicates that Jesus is glorified by us.  When people look at us, the followers of Jesus Christ, they get an idea of what Jesus is like.  Let me say that again.  When people look at us, the followers of Jesus Christ, they get an idea of what Jesus is like. 

And, this is where the idea of “glorifying” goes a lot deeper than coming to church and singing songs of praise to Jesus.  The Bible is putting forth this idea that when people look at you, they are hoping to see what Jesus is all about.  And, I do not know if that terrifies you, because that kind of terrifies me. 

Did the guy who almost hit me head on because he passed in a no passing zone think that it was Jesus giving him a bird like signal when he sped past?  When I forget to call someone who needs a voice of love, does the person feel like Jesus forgot to call?  Do I bring honor or shame to the name of Jesus Christ?

After-all, it is not just me who looks bad when I am less than loving; it inherently shapes people’s idea of Jesus Christ, my Lord…the one I follow.

I know plenty of people who either left the church or refuse to enter into one because they have seen the people of Jesus Christ, and the people of Jesus Christ did not seem very Jesus Christ-like.  When words of hate, and exclusion, and non-forgiveness, and refusal to welcome the sinner, and constantly putting down the people of the world are all that people hear from Christian’s lips, people just cannot see Jesus in a good and honorable light.  Jesus is not glorified by this.

We were put on this earth to glorify Jesus Christ.  And, that is where “love” comes in, because in the story we read today, Jesus is about to die on the cross and ascend into heaven.  His days of glorifying God are just about over. 

Who remains behind to continue to do the glorifying?  That is right, we remain to give honor to God, to make God look good, to represent Jesus Christ in all we do and say.  Like any good coach, Jesus gives us some clear direction before we head out:

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (NRSV, John 13:34-35)

We give glory to Jesus Christ when we love the same way that Jesus loves us.  Jesus says to love, “just as I have loved you.”  We are to show love in the same way.  We are to be loving in the same way that Jesus is loving.  When people look at followers of Christ, they should see the shadow of Jesus Christ himself.  And, that shadow looks a lot like a cross.

Jesus loved by dying for the sinner.  Jesus loved by welcoming the other.  Jesus ate with those whom others refused to welcome.  Jesus loved unconditionally.  This is Jesus’ new commandment: to love one another in the same way that Jesus loved us.

And, when we forget how to glorify God…when we forget how to love the outsider and forget to forgive the sinner and forget to welcome those who are different than ourselves, Jesus comes with a bed sheet.  “Did he say that right?”  Yes, I did.

Well, at least Jesus comes to Peter with a bed sheet.  Jesus gives Peter this vision of a bed sheet descending from heaven with unclean animals on it.  A voice from heaven tells Peter to kill and eat the unclean animals.  Peter thinks that idea is gross and insane, in the same way that eating the family dog is gross and insane to us. 

“Here Butterscotch!  Where’s my dinner, good boy?  Oh, there’s my dinner!”

It is just plain wrong and profane!  But, God says, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.”

Then the Holy Spirit brings some gentiles to Peter who invite him to eat with them.  Peter joins these sinners because he has now heard and now understands what will bring honor to God: “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.”

And, I wonder how many times I have called someone profane and unacceptable just at the very moment when God desired that person to be called clean?  I wonder how many times I have failed to forgive as Jesus forgives me?  I wonder how many times I have failed to love just as Jesus has loved me?  I wonder how many times I have failed to glorify Jesus in what I do or say.

And, all of those questions look backward and they wallows in the mistakes of the past when Jesus does not do that.  Jesus looks forward and gives a new commandment.  “Love one another, just as I have loved you.”  Jesus is not looking backward!  Jesus is not focusing on the faults of the past!  Jesus has gone to the cross to forgive those things…to eliminate those things!   

Jesus does not come to shout at Peter for getting it all wrong for all these years.  No, Jesus gives him a bed sheet!  Jesus gives him a vision of what love is all about!  Jesus views Peter as a forgiven person who has been put on this earth to glorify God.  He just needed a little reminder of what that looks like.

So, I am reminding you today!  We are a forgiven people!  We are a loved people!  We are a people who are given new chances!  We are a people who love one another in the same way that Jesus has loved us! 

We are children of God who are set in a place of honor by the Lord to glorify the Lord.  We were put on this earth to glorify God.  We were put on this earth to bring honor to the name of Jesus Christ.  We are God’s holy people of love.  And, now is as good of time as any to start glorifying God’s name once again with love!