Is God a Tyrant?
John chapter 6 records a story in which Jesus seems to miss an amazing opportunity. He didn’t just fail to walk through the wide-open door of opportunity, He deliberately slammed it shut:
A large crowd gathers to see and hear Jesus. He heals those who need healing, and teaches them many things (Mark 6:34).
The crowd loves it. They listen eagerly, drinking in each word, quenching a spiritual thirst that is being truly satisfied for the first time.
The enthralled crowd forgets their physical needs. But Jesus remembers. He takes one boy’s meal and multiplies it to feed thousands.
Wow. The miraculous healings. The words of life. The food. People in the crowd start putting the pieces together. This must be the Deliverer whom their prophecies had been telling them to look for! Visions of glory, prosperity, preeminence and revenge fill their imaginations. They must make this Man their king!
Then Jesus, discerning that the people want to make Him a king by force, abruptly disperses the crowd and escapes up the mountain.
Why? Doesn’t He have every right to be King? Doesn’t the world need a King like Him?
John chapter 6 goes on to record some discussions that Jesus had after this incident. Let’s see if we can find some answers from what He said:
John 6:37: “Everyone who the Father gives to Me will come to Me, and I will never reject anyone who comes to Me.” Jesus here gives the assurance that there’s never a need to coerce anyone to come to Him. By extension, there’s never a need to push anyone to accept or obey Him.
John 6:44: “No one can come to Me unless the Father draws him.” How does God draw us?
John 12:32,33: “I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” He said this to show what kind of death He would die.
Jesus’ death on the cross is what God would use to draw everyone to Him. Glimpses of God’s love for us is what God uses to bring people to Himself. This is also what He uses to transform people’s hearts and bring them into harmony with Him. (John 3:3,9,14-16)
Jesus said “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9). Thus God the Father’s love for us is the same as Jesus’ love. His methods and motives are the same.
So is God a tyrant?
Here’s what this story tells us:
• Jesus refused to let anyone force others to accept Him as king.
• It’s love, not coercion, that God uses to bring people to Him.
To be fair, the story of John chapter 6 is only one of hundreds of stories that should be studied to determine God’s character. But based on this chapter, God doesn’t seem like a tyrant to me.