The Trouble with Jesus
by Constance Hastings
The Trouble with Jesus is what he offers is not what people want or think they need.
Jesus, there you go again. You say one thing and we think we know what you’re about, and then you go off somewhere else with it. Why make this so hard? You know our needs. You gave us what is essential to live. And then you act like we got it all wrong. Come on, Son of Man, work with us on this.
Don’t think today is any different from these grubbers who stalked Jesus from one side of the Galilean lake to the other. Are you listening, out there? There’s a roller coaster of a national election going on and we’re in for a dizzying ride. The last month has proved don’t bother guessing what’s next. Unity seems to be only an illusion. Raise your hand if you’ve ever prayed for God to do something about this.
Give Us …Our Daily Bread
To be fair, what these people did makes a good point. That feeding 5000 out of a kid’s lunchbox was a big deal. Good, free food is always an attraction, and plenty were ready to get on this gravy train. It looks like Jesus had the best buffet going, so crowds were ready to refill their plates again.
What’s more, they were on board because it was part of their DNA. Moses, the most revered prophet in their history, had given them manna to eat (Exodus 16:1-18) while their people migrated to the Promise Land. This Jesus was of the same stuff, so to stick close to him could mean God was doing it again. Yeah, get stuffed on this while you can.
The Truth is…
Whenever Jesus prefaced his remarks with this, swallow fast and listen up. He’s kind of peeved right now. Sure, he fed the crowd because they were hungry, but they never seemed to get how what he did for them had more significance than just making life easy. Any time he adjusted the natural order was a way of pointing to how he wanted them to understand who he was and what a God-thing this meant for them. But using him as Divine Fixer of all that was tough in life wasn’t part of it.
Believe, Yes, And…
Jesus, let’s do this again. We need food to eat. Not having enough food will kill us. From your perspective, you should get it. Preaching to empty stomachs is not going to work well for your interests. We have to eat. What else would God have us do?
“This is what God wants you to do: Believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29)
Yep, we’re not far from this ever-hungry crowd Jesus faced. Jesus met needs with miraculous signs showing he was sent from and sealed with God to not only meet an immediate need but to fill it with more.
Manna was good for wilderness wanderers, but it didn’t last. Save back any for the next day, and you’ve got rot in your basket. (Exodus 16) To believe Jesus came from God didn’t mean a momentary, intellectual acknowledgment. It meant commitment to be and live as one who makes a lifetime of being nourished, strengthened, fed by who Jesus is.
Think of it like this. Most of us consider Love, Mercy, Forgiveness, Grace, Justice as good things. No argument there. But verbal acquiescence doesn’t cut it. Without living, incorporating these considerations in one’s personal life, none of it will ever happen.
To believe in Jesus then is to trust one’s life fully letting him make those changes in our lives so that we don’t try to control what God does with us. It’s being open to what God is doing, to keeping your eyes peeled and soul soft. Whether it’s food for the next day or however the November election plays out, live, love, forgive, extend mercy, grace, and justice like God’s got this.
True Bread
Sure manna didn’t last and would spoil in less than a day. But what Jesus offers doesn’t go bad. “The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Jesus is saying that believing in, trusting him will bring a centeredness and wholeness in life’s purpose designed by God. In him there is security beyond food, a future unattainable without him.
“I am the bread of life,” he said. “No one who comes to me will ever be hungry again.”
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The Trouble with Jesus: Considerations Before You Walk Away by Constance Hastings
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