After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. - John 6:14-15

The people had seen the miracles - the sick and dying revived and cared for. They had heard him teach that the poor are blessed. They had witnessed him pushing back on religious power structures and on systemic oppression. They had heard the stories of redemption from disastrous lives. So it’s no wonder that the people were so intrigued by this new way of life that Jesus was offering that they wanted him to usher it in completely.

Ironically, in order to make Jesus into their king, they wanted to use the very kind of force that Jesus taught against. It’s a bit like watching that parent get so upset at their child and start yelling, “Be gentle OR ELSE!!!” We have a built in capacity to ignore our own behavior, don't we?

Are there things you sort of wish you could force Jesus to do? Maybe it’s someone who is sick that you really want to see healed. Maybe it’s a system of oppression that really needs to be toppled. What are the things you wish you could force Jesus to do for you?

And did you notice what Jesus does when people try to force him to do things? He “withdrew.” Perhaps sometimes God feels far away because God is withdrawing from us because we’re trying to force God to do things that God doesn’t want to do.