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He's Not Willing to be king

             When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” (John 6:25-27)

 

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Provers 37: 4)

 

You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:14)

 

He had fed 5,000 then had gone off to pray while the disciples rowed across the lake. He had later walked across the lake during a storm. That is where this passage takes up. The people have been looking for Him to force Him to accept kingship. While we might think this would have solved everything, Jesus rejected this idea in a way that may also challenge us.

He told them they weren’t seeking Him because they saw that He was able to do the miraculous. They didn’t want God, or even a prophet of God as their king. They sought Him because He had filled their bellies. They wanted a king who would satisfy their desires. It wasn’t about God meeting their needs. They only needed to be fed because they had been Jesus’ guests/audience but if He became king, surely he’d continue to feed them.

We may give knowing looks at the “Name it and claim it” crowd, but how often are we guilty of the same sort of thinking, either about our lives today or eternity? When we read the verses from Proverbs and John, aren’t we tempted to ask for goodies? I’ve written before that these verses have to do with loving God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths, or with wanting God above all, but God isn’t interested in being our vending machine. He’s not willing to be king. He will only be King.

So, do we look forward to Heaven for the streets of gold, the mansion, or seeing our friends and family again? Or do we want Heaven because that’s where God is? I know we can do both, but which gets more attention? Do we get frustrated with God when He doesn’t make our lives perfect? OK, how about nice? Do we think there’s a problem when He doesn’t give us the things we think are reasonable, or even His responsibility?

As we get ready for Christmas, are we getting ready to celebrate His birthday? Or are we tangled up in all the presents we have to buy and wrap, all the food we have  to buy and prepare, and all the people we’ll visit (or who will visit us.)? 

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