If We Could Just Make Him King...
A reading for Saturday, January 11, 2014: John 6:15-27
Jesus is not a commodity. He is not controllable or political. John wrote in 3:8, "The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." In the story today, Jesus demonstrates to all that he is born of the Spirit.
At times this makes us afraid. How will we know where to find Jesus, if he is not predictable or controllable? Again from John, "Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” If we could make him King, says the crowd, then we would always know where to find Jesus. Let's make him political so we can know how to handle Jesus.
But Jesus is not controllable and withdraws to the mountains...
When the disciples need him, however, he is present and comes to them urging them not to be afraid. Jesus is with them, in spite of their desire to "bring him into the boat with them." They too want to control Jesus and the power he brings. Jesus saves, but is unwilling to join them in the boat when their desire is control.
It is still our desire today to know exactly what Jesus is doing and where Jesus is to be found always. We still want to control Jesus. We even want to use Jesus to get what we want. Yet, we are on a journey too and simply trust that Jesus is present with us in ways that we don't always understand or even comprehend. When we need Jesus, John testifies to the presence of our God with us.
Jesus says, "It is I; Do not be afraid..."
Jesus is not a commodity. He is not controllable or political. John wrote in 3:8, "The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." In the story today, Jesus demonstrates to all that he is born of the Spirit.
At times this makes us afraid. How will we know where to find Jesus, if he is not predictable or controllable? Again from John, "Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” If we could make him King, says the crowd, then we would always know where to find Jesus. Let's make him political so we can know how to handle Jesus.
But Jesus is not controllable and withdraws to the mountains...
When the disciples need him, however, he is present and comes to them urging them not to be afraid. Jesus is with them, in spite of their desire to "bring him into the boat with them." They too want to control Jesus and the power he brings. Jesus saves, but is unwilling to join them in the boat when their desire is control.
It is still our desire today to know exactly what Jesus is doing and where Jesus is to be found always. We still want to control Jesus. We even want to use Jesus to get what we want. Yet, we are on a journey too and simply trust that Jesus is present with us in ways that we don't always understand or even comprehend. When we need Jesus, John testifies to the presence of our God with us.
Jesus says, "It is I; Do not be afraid..."
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