John 6:15: Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
As I get deeper into this book, it's easy to get excited as Jesus' mission and ministry begin to take shape. As momentum builds, more and more people are responding to Jesus. However, in these first few chapters, quite a bit of the crowd's response is rooted in personal expectations, needs, or a misguided understanding of who the Messiah is and will be.
In fact, later in chapter 6, most of the 5000 that were miraculously fed the day before can hardly get over the fact that Jesus put food in their stomachs. They wanted to equate Jesus' provision with that which was given to their ancestors in the desert under Moses. This very relevant miracle was intended to reveal the fullness of God in Christ, but the crowd did not understand the difference between temporary provision and eternal quenching of the Spirit.
In that, I can't help but notice the level-headed intentionality of Jesus. The misguided expectations of the Jews awaiting the Messiah included the hope that Christ would be a political ruler to free them from oppression from the Romans, Herodians, etc. Their first reaction was to force Jesus into this role, that their desires could be served and expectations met.
Yet, knowing their hearts, Jesus intentionally removed himself. We talk about living intentionally often, and at Pointbreak have recently concluded a teaching series called "Surrounded" that echos this theme. In order to stay on track with his mission, Jesus had to be aware of the hearts around him and respond accordingly.
We have an extra step to consider: sacrifice. Unlike Jesus, who knew exactly where he was going and would not be wavered, the struggle we possess is pride. I've never been in a position where a 5000-strong crowd was enamored with me to the point that they attempted to make me king.
I have been in situations that required me to sacrifice what I want in order to stay on track.
Pride is a challenging thing. Read further in chapter 6, where you'll see followers of Christ drop out because they can't handle losing their pride. I, for one, struggle severely when I see my pride in a reflection. But in order to live with true intentionality (missional living), I do not want my personal pride and expectations to hinder the work of God through me.
My greatest point of struggle with pride is when I'm right, and a jerk about it. This plays out in several relationships, and it's disgusting. When I'm really, really right, and know it, there is not a fraction of sacrifice in my heart.
I know there's nothing wrong with being right. And believe me, I'm not right often. But if and when I am, my goal is to reflect Christ's sacrificial and intentional heart by allowing Christ's love to transcend my pride.
Father God,
let sacrifice reign in me, that you may work intentionally through me. When I'm wrong, let me face it and grow. When I'm right, show me that it is not because of my wisdom, but yours through me. Let pride fall as I depend on you.
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