Here we have John’s account of Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000. What makes this gospel’s story unique is the response to the miracle. The crowd is sitting around with full bellies, thinking they’d like more where that came from. They decide to make him their king – using force if necessary. Jesus refuses to conform to their idea of what kind of king he should be. Later, he admonishes the crowd, accusing them of following him only because of what he has done, rather than because of who he is.
Like these first century Judeans, there are times we may be tempted to think of our relationship with Jesus as transactional. “Get me out of this mess, Jesus, and I’ll love you with my whole heart.” “Make me well, Jesus, and I’ll give a huge donation to a charitable cause.” “Fix my marriage and I promise, I’ll be a kinder person.”
Today, make a list of the characteristics that make Jesus who he is. Offer a prayer of thanks for each one and commit yourself to following Jesus because of who he is and not just because of what he’s done, understanding that what he’s done is because of who he is.
