August 23, 2024 Devo

Popularity is a very fickle thing. People can be insanely passionate in their love for you one day and turn on you the next. Jesus understood that. In fact, later in His story, Jesus experienced that. People who shouted, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord,” as Jesus rode into Jerusalem were shouting, “Crucify Him!” just a few days later. Jesus knew how people were. After all, He was the One who created them.
That’s why Jesus wasn’t swayed in our passage today. Counting women and children, some commentators say there were as many as 10,000 people in that crowd that got fed. As word got around that it was food multiplied by Jesus, people got excited. “This could be our new champion!” they thought to themselves. Jesus was the prophet they had been waiting for. He would be the leader to rally the Jews together. He would be the one to rise up in power and take back this land that was being ruled by oppressors. Jesus would be the one to march into Rome, kick Caesar off the throne, and finally be the king they needed.
But the crowd made the same mistake so many made about Jesus. He hadn’t come to rule their country. He came to rule their HEARTS. People always want God to change the world around them. But Jesus had no interest in that. He wanted to change what was WITHIN them. Maybe that’s what He wants with us as well. I mean, it’s so easy to get lost in thinking that God just needs to get busy and change these things around us. But what if the real problem isn’t “out there?” What if it's “right here?” Maybe the answer isn’t for us to be trying to get Jesus to take control of someone else’s throne. Maybe what Jesus wants is for us to allow Him to sit on ours. That’s God’s Word for you today.