Skip to main content

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.)? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more