You just need to need God
You don’t need to deserve God — you just need to need Him!
The truth of that statement became apparent to me as I read the story of one of Jesus’ most famous miracles. Those of us who grew up in Sunday School called it, “The Feeding Of The 5000.” It was quite a picnic.
Most discussions of that miracle focus on how 5,000 men-plus who knows how many women and children could possibly have been fed with five small loaves and two fish, the equivalent of one young boy’s lunch.
That question, however, is moot once you deal with the significantly larger question of whether there is a God and if so, whether Jesus was Him. Once you settle those issues multiplying bread and fish is not a big deal.
The issue is not whether He could perform such a miracle but rather why He would?
If you read the story closely the way it’s recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, you discover that Jesus had just received some horrible family news. His cousin John had been gruesomely murdered (beheaded) by Herod. And, Matthew tells us that having heard what had happened, Jesus withdrew privately to a solitary place.Who doesn’t understand that? He needed time and space to be alone, to grieve, to pray. However, no sooner did he arrive at his place of solitude than the crowds discovered where He was and immediately flocked to Him, expecting more miracles and healing of their sick.
And in spite of His own tragedy, Jesus looked at the crowds of people with compassion and engaged them so completely that day turned to evening and no one had anything to eat.
Feeding a hungry crowd who didn’t have the decency to allow time to grieve in the middle of a family crisis would hardly be on my agenda. But it was on His?
Here’s why plugging through this story is worth the effort, and I do hope you’re still with me. Jesus had compassion and fed them not because they were such devoted followers, they weren’t. He had compassion on them not because they had come to him so appropriately, they hadn’t. He had compassion on them not because they deserved it, they didn’t. He had compassion on them for no other reason than that they were in need and He always has a heart for the needy.
Which brings us full circle. You don’t need to deserve Jesus, you just need to need Him.
This is the fulcrum of one of the most significant yet misunderstood truths about God. People at all stages of belief think God will do things for us if we deserve them. Those just beginning to investigate God and the Christian faith probably put it in these terms.
If I can just make myself a little bit better; If somehow I can sin a little less, drink a little less, swear a little less, get almost honest in my deals, maybe even help a few people along the way, then maybe I can earn a bit of favor with God and can expect Him to do a few favours for me.
It’s essentially a swap. Even long-time Christians struggle with this.We think we can’t really ask God for help right now because we haven’t been up to par in our Christian practices lately, and He knows, so we dare not ask Him for help. Maybe after I do better for a couple weeks then I’ll ask Him for help.
The real breakthrough is to discover that God is not impressed by our few good deeds nor is He flustered by our immaturity and insensitivity. Being gracious and compassionate is right at the center of His heart for people. Remember, you don’t need to deserve Him, you just need to need Him.
Tim Schroeder is pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Kelowna. This column appears Saturdays.