“After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, ‘Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.’ Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.” ~ John 6:14-15 NIV
Daily Bible Reading: Acts 5
In the Gospel of John chapter 6 there’s an interesting story about Jesus. The famous part of the story is that he takes five loaves and two fish and feeds a crowd of over 5,000 so thoroughly that there are full baskets leftover. But the way the story ends in verses 14 and 15 (above) is interesting, too.
Why did Jesus run away rather than be made king by a crowd of adoring fans? Wouldn’t it have been a good thing? He would rule perfectly, maybe even with free food for everyone.
As I thought about that, I recalled my New Year's Eve. Waiting for midnight I found myself flipping back through my journal to a forgotten list of goals for 2015. I hadn’t accomplished any of them --- not surprising since I hadn’t even remembered them. What a way to start the new year, realizing you failed completely at the year before! So I was frustrated, with myself but also with God because those goals were written like a prayer and isn’t he supposed to keep track of my prayers even when I forget?
In the middle of my pouting my closest friend called from Japan. In the final hours of 2015 I gave her the update on my life; not just about what happened but what those all that happened meant. I told her about my sister who has reconnected with Jesus and our family in a profound way, my brother who’s found new purpose and passion in his life, and the wonderful new friends I’ve made. And as the countdown finished and the fireworks flashed and faded away I realized something important - my goals weren’t big enough. It wasn’t that God didn’t answer my prayers, it’s that his goals were so much better than I knew to ask for.
So back to the John 6 account: Why didn’t Jesus let the crowd make him king and instead chose to face the cross? Because the cross was better for us than a king. Jesus knew that his future on the cross would mean more for the crowd than a future on a earthly throne. So he walked away from the people’s dreams and shiny, immediate goals in favor of what God had in store, because His were better.
Prayer: Jesus, as this year begins help us not to settle for goals that are less than what You would have for us. Give us eyes to see and a longing for the better things You are doing in our lives, in the people we care about, and in our world. Amen.