“Exactly who we need”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Wednesday, August 21, 2024
John 6: 1-15 (Forward, p. 23) CEV p. 1107
Right now in American federal politics we are just on the cusp of knowing who the presidential candidates will be for the two major political parties. Donald J. Trump has already been confirmed for the Republicans and Kamala Harris will be confirmed for the Democratic Party momentarily. And, of course, the question for voters either way is, ‘Who is it that we really need? Who is it that ‘fits the bill?”
For the crowds by the Sea of Galilee the answer was obvious, Jesus. After all, He had just fed five thousand people, not counting the women and children, with just five small loaves of barley bread and two fishes. (In reality, this crowd was probably more like 20,000 or 30,000 when you factor in these extra family members.) And so the crowd thought this guy was ‘exactly who we need’, exactly the person we need as king and wanted to force Him into this position. After all, to pull this off with just these meager provisions—without raising our taxes, you might say. This is pretty phenomenal.
The interesting thing is that He was, and is, already king, but not in the way that they envisioned or desired. He was, and is, king by virtue of being God. He is king in the here and now for anyone and everyone who accepts Him as their Lord and pledges to follow and obey Him. And He will be king over all peoples and over all the earth when He returns in glory.
The crowds on that fateful day wanted Him as king because He had managed to fill their bellies, and the Jewish people in general would have wanted Him to be the kind of king that would drive the Roman occupiers from the land and restore Israel to its former glory. However, as Jesus tried to point out with regards to the food, but of those goals were short-sighted and doomed to frustration and failure. Neither would ultimately satisfy in the long run. Only Jesus would really satisfy their needs and aspirations. And the wonderful thing about this is that this can begin right now. We don’t have to wait for some ‘never-never-land’. His reign, and its benefits, can begin right now, if only we will let Him into our lives.
Forward notes: “Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do (verses 5-6).
“When Jesus questions Philip about feeding the crowd, the disciples throw out some ideas—and then promptly reject them. ‘It would take a fortune,’ and ‘there are too many of us.’ This reminds me of some team meetings I have attended. We only brainstorm solutions inside the box. While not every problem requires a miracle, I sometimes forget the possibility of unimaginable solutions.
“When Jesus asks Philip, he opens the door for an imaginative, faithful response. I feel like Jesus often asks me the same question, especially because I tend to compartmentalize problems between what I can manage and what requires divine intervention. But the world is not divided between human and Godly domains. And bringing God into the solution is not a sign of weakness. In my arrogance or shame, I fail to pray for answers. Struggle and failure remind me that God is greater than I am—and that I should never hesitate to ask for guidance.”
MOVING FORWARD: “Do you have a problem you have neglected to pray about? And are you really ready to act on what is God’s will?”