Sunday 19th February
Read John 6:14-15
“After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.” (NIVUK)
The difference between what we think we need and what we actually need is often vast. The Jews have seen someone for whom they have been waiting for a very long time. The prophet who would come and speak to them the words of God and bring His presence directly into their lives (Deuteronomy 18:15ff). In Jesus they recognise greatness, and a path to lift them out of where they find themselves now. They will do anything to meet their own needs – even make Jesus their king by force! Press-ganging Him into leading them out from under the heel of the Romans and poverty and oppression.
But their real need is not to be ruled by Jesus as a victorious, triumphant, miracle-wielding king. Their real need is to have their sin and guilt dealt with. A worldly ruler cannot undertake that task. It requires a suffering, self-sacrificing leader. To be that ruler, the one who surrenders to the Romans willingly and places Himself on the path to death, requires much greater will and obedience than feeding people miraculously. The populist path is deceitful – it was what Jesus was tempted with in the wilderness – and had to reject. Ironically citing Deuteronomy also, pointing out that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God… Jesus deliberately walked away from the ‘bread and circuses’ path to glory and withdrew alone to a mountain.
When we are tempted with worldly glory, we may be wise to follow His example.
