Gospel: Mark 6: 30-34
In this Gospel scene we find Jesus moving about from place to place in order to avoid the crowd. No matter where he went or however he traveled, they would find him and continue to press upon him. What were they looking for? He had healed their infirmities, liberated them from their demons, and provided them with food and nourishment. Jesus sets about to teach them, but were they listening to what he was saying? Do they really understand what he is saying?
They are looking for someone to lead them, to tell them what to do. They are hoping for a Messiah, someone to liberate them from Roman occupation. Jesus offers them neither. The kingdom of God is within us. If we discover this inner kingdom and learn to heed this inner voice, then we have no need of an external leader of our soul. Even less do we need a political leader offering false promises and even emptier solutions.
The Roman empire came and went. So too have many other empires and regimes. The world ever strives for power, wealth, influence, and fame. The kingdom of God is not about those things. The crowd desires these things. Jesus teaches us to seek God's kingdom and justice. The crowd does not understand, and it will take part in Jesus' execution. The kingdom of God is not of this world. It is the world within, a world in opposition to this one, a world that offers true peace.
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