42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
John 12:42-43 (ESV)
Hopeless?
After yesterday’s message you might think the situation was hopeless, that none would believe. Is the situation hopeless? Of course not. And John immediately demonstrates this by letting us know that many believed – even among the (hard-hearted, proud) rulers!
Faulty faith
But the situation is not so rosy. These authorities who believed were secret believers. As John records, they loved the glory and praise of men more than the glory and praise of God. “They saw the signs and heard His teaching, yet because they were afraid of what others would think and do against them they would not openly declare (confess) their allegiance to and trust in Jesus.” (enduringword.com) They had faulty faith.
Who were these rulers? Many would guess Nicodemus was one of them, the ruler who came to Jesus at night in John 3. Another may have been Joseph of Arimathea who (along with Nicodemus) requested the dead body of Jesus and buried Him in his own tomb.
Fear of man
Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.” It’s an insidious sin. It crops up everywhere. “How do I look? Let me check myself in the selfie camera.” Or, “Is my house big enough and my car expensive enough? How about a degree – is mine prestigious enough? How about this one – how many likes did I get on my last post; how many followers do I have. Oswald Chambers is quoted as saying, “The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”
<- Reflection ->
- We may not be secret followers like these leaders but we surely can have an unhealthy fear of men. Take a moment to ask the Spirit to search your soul. Then, take action with what He reveals. Find a faithful follower of Christ to hold you accountable.
Most of the time, applying these timeless and precious words from the Scriptures is just what we need. May we learn to love and fear God above all, so we can disregard the glory or fear that comes from men.
Thank you for this valuable reminder, brother!
It pains me to see those I love caught in this trap. The the Spirit reminds me to first check the splinter in my own eye.
Lord bless Bruno and his family.