For Sunday
Proper 12B
Collect
O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Reading
Reflection
It isn’t enough that Jesus fed an impossible multitude. They wanted to make him their king. They didn’t wish he were their king. They tried to force him into the role. A role already taken by someone else.
Are you at least a little surprised by this? That they would do this by force? That this is the response to a joyous miracle? These sheep without a shepherd are protected by Jesus and they’re like, Let’s just make this permanent, shall we?
What is that they think will happen? Do they expect forcing a man to be king will make them mighty? Do they expect this miraculous feeding would become a regular thing for them in the kingdom? That’s got to be it, I suppose. That it isn’t just the miracle, but the specific miracle. He could feed them. They could make him feed them.
We can see why that isn’t God’s plan here. Why Jesus can’t go along with it. And yet, do we not think the same way? Don’t we pray for personal miracles and national gain? Don’t we want a magical king who could eliminate our every need? That isn’t what Jesus offers, though. Are we OK with that?