Biblica_1:Layout 1 21-11-2011 12:59 Pagina 385 385 JOHN 5,31-47 AND THE TEACHING OF JESUS IN THE SYNOPTICS In John 5,41 Jesus explains that he does “not accept glory from human beings”. In the context of this discourse Jesus is saying that he is not depending on human praise and testimony 26. No direct parallel from Jesus to this statement can be found in the Synoptics. In Luke 4,24 par. [0/1-level of closeness], however, Jesus actually has to live without the praise and acceptance of people (and ap- parently was in a position to do so). Due to his intimate knowledge of his hearers, Jesus is then able to address them in John 5,42 with another charge: “you do not have the love of God in you [thn avga,phn tou/ qeou/]”, i.e., they are not a people . who love God. This, again, is no Johannine idiosyncrasy since in the Synoptics Jesus utters the exact same accusation in his woes against the Pharisees and their religious practices. For example, in Luke 11,42 he states: “you (…) neglect justice and the love of God [thn avga,phn . tou/ qeou/]” [1/2-level of closeness] 27. More generally, one might add that Mark 12,30 par. confirms that dedication to and love for God are certainly core concerns of Jesus’ preaching: “you shall love [agaphseij] the Lord your God [ton qeo,n] with all your heart (…)” v , . [thus a possible 1/1-level of closeness] 28. John 5,43a and 5,43b reiterates that Jesus is not on a self-ap- pointed mission but is authorized by the Father and thus subordi- nate to him: “I have come in my Father’s name”, yet, “you do not accept me”. That the Father stands behind the ministry of Jesus is expressed in different terms in Matt 11,27 par. (cf. Matt 21,9 par.), with Jesus maintaining that “all things have been handed over to me by my Father” [1/1-level of closeness; cf. the common usage of tou/ patro,j mou], as well as in his announcement in Matt 23,39 par. that a time is coming when people will acknowledge him “who comes in the name of the Lord” [1/1-level of closeness]. A lack of acceptance of Jesus and his mission is likewise part of synoptic speech material, as in Matt 17,17 par., where Jesus calls his Jewish audience an “unbelieving generation” [0/1-level of closeness]. In 5,43c Jesus goes on to say that rather than accepting the God-sent Messiah, “if another comes in his own name, you will accept him”. The prediction of false, self-proclaimed prophets 26 KEENER, John, I, 660. 27 Luke 11,42 is listed as a Johannine parallel in the 27NA margin. 28 BLOMBERG, Historical Reliability, 117.