Jesus is not an On-Demand Messiah. 

We live in an age of on-demand television, hot water, abortion, meals, taxis, and so much more. Why not an On-Demand Messiah? Clever advertising could market Jesus as The MEssiah. An On-Demand MEssiah would follow me around and miraculously intervene in my life whenever is convenient for me.

Stuck in traffic? Not for long! Not with the On-Demand MEssiah.

Feeling hungry but the pantry is bare of salty snacks and sweetbreads?  Not with the On-Demand MEssiah.

Let’s pause the irreverence for a moment to see how Jesus handled being treated as an On-Demand Messiah. 

In verse 10, Jesus gets into a boat with his disciples and crosses the lake to Dalmanutha. As soon as he got out of the boat, the Pharisees showed up and started arguing with him (verse 11). They “demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.”

Jesus sighed deeply (Let every mother understand.), “and said, Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign,” (verse 12). 

Jesus then “got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake,” (verse 13). 

Jesus is not a magician pulling rabbits out of his hat and doves out of his suit. If you want to see Jesus do amazing things, you don’t buy tickets to a show. You don’t command him to pop off a miracle whenever you require entertainment. 

Instead, you follow him around. Jesus’ miracles, and there were many of them, were always done in the context of deep meaning and eternal purpose. Those miracles not only set people free from their maladies, they provided the ultimate freedom of salvation.

Scan the rest of this chapter in Mark’s Gospel. Jesus fed 4,000 men and more with only seven loaves of bread (verses 1-10). Jesus healed a blind man (verses 22-26). Jesus performed miracles at just the right time and in just the right way. Each miracle met immediate needs and made possible the extension of his Kingdom. 

Do not wait for Jesus to take the stage and perform magic tricks.

Do not expect Jesus to mix up a miracle on-demand. 

Do walk with Jesus into every meeting, through every crowd, and all along the way. Keep your eyes open, your ears attentive, and your prayers specifically trained on Gospel needs and Gospel resources. 

What’s better than an On-Demand MEssiah? An On-Mission and On-Time Messiah. Miracles are in the mission. Miracles are in the perfect timing of the Messiah. 

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I will join Jesus in his Kingdom-building mission and stay attentive for miracles only he can accomplish in his perfect timing.

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Our Father, I have no authority to command you to do anything at any time. Instead, I want to be where you are at work. I want to participate in extending your Kingdom. I want to live on mission with you. Amen.