The human and Divine idea of kingship.
We have in the connection:
1. A wonderful miracle. Five thousand fed.
2. A right conclusion. "This is the Messiah."
3. A wrong act. They would take him and make him King. Notice—
I. THE PROPOSAL OF THE MULTITUDE. "To make him King."
1. The proposal was sincere and enthusiastic. The multitude were full of the idea; it burned in their breasts, boiled in their thoughts, flashed in their countenances, and blazed in their words. They were entirely swayed by it, and ready at any moment to break out in an apparently irresistible action.
2. The proposal was popular. The vast multitude were united, and even the disciples were not exempt. They were naturally drawn to the vortex of the terrible whirlpool of the popular sentiment. And although these people were not representative men, still they were fired with the national idea, and attempted to carry out the national wish with regard to the Messiah.
3. It was thoroughly secular. They wished to make him King in opposition to all the kings of the earth, and especially to Caesar, and to deliver them as a nation from the hateful yoke of Rome. Thus the proposal was directly seditious, endangering their own safety as well as the safety of Christ in direct opposition to the great purpose of his life.
4. It was utterly selfish.
II. THE CONDUCT OF JESUS. It shows:
1. The unselfishness of his nature. Consider:
2. The spirituality of his mission.
3. The purity and strength of his character.
4. The wisdom of his conduct.
5. The devotion of his spirit. "He departed again," etc. We see:
LESSONS.
1. When a multitude is inspired with wrong ideas and purposes, better disperse it. Thus did Jesus.
2. The best of teachers often find it difficult to gather people and keep them together. Jesus often found it difficult to send them away; they clung to him, and he had to take himself away from them.
3. When Divine and human forces come into collision, the human ought and must give way.
4. If Christ deemed it wrong to take man and make him his subject by force, it is wrong for man, or any number of men, to attempt to make him King by force. Voluntariness is the principle of his kingdom.
5. It is better to be alone with a mountain than to be with a multitude, when it is entirely inspired with wrong and dangerous notions.
6. Much honour is attempted to be forced on Jesus against his expressed will. Such honour to him is dishonour, and will not have it. He withdraws from it.
7. The highest honour we can pay Jesus and ourselves is to make him King of our hearts and souls. "Enter in, thou blessed of the Lord."—B.T.