THEY WANTED TO BE NEAR HIM

John 6:5 – TPT – As Jesus sat down, he looked out and saw the massive crowd of people scrambling up the hill, for they wanted to be near him.

That initial attraction to just be with Jesus is quite different from anything else in this world. It grabbed by attention on the lakefront in New Orleans and brought me, in just two weeks, to a community of Jesus freaks in California. It didn’t sound rational but I would have said it was irresistible. Some call it irresistible grace, and I would have to call it lovestruck. Parris and I left family, friends, and everything we knew to just go and be with Jesus. We had tasted something very real and we knew there must be more and we were not going to be denied. That’s how it is in today’s passage, you could say the crowd had seen miracles and wanted to see more but if they are like me, they wanted to be near Jesus. I am sure I could not have articulated that 52 years ago and neither could the crowd that was about to experience a supernatural lunch, but that was what was in their heart, just to be with Him. Here is how Barclay describes this crowd scurrying to be with Him.

“At first, Jesus went up into the hill behind the plain and he was sitting there with his disciples. Then the crowd began to appear in droves. It was nine miles round the top of the lake and across the ford, and they had made the journey with all speed. We are told that the Feast of the Passover was near and there would be even bigger crowds on the roads at that time. Possibly many were on the way to Jerusalem by that route. Many Galilaean pilgrims travelled north and crossed the ford and went through Peraea, and then recrossed the Jordan near Jericho. The way was longer, but it avoided the territory of the hated and dangerous Samaritans. It is likely that the great crowd was swelled by detachments of pilgrims on their way to the Passover Feast.”

A nine mile walk In Israel or 2500 mile drive from NOLA to California is insignificant when you have tasted God’s love. Those kind of inconveniences become part of the excitement of this new adventure. Maybe you are experiencing some kind of stirring in your heart. If God’s love is erupting in you its time to make your way through whatever obstacle you face so you can just be with Him.