“And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.”-Mark 1:37
The desire to be respected and admired comes part and parcel with our nature. Admiration is man’s way of approving the ability and amelioration he sees within others. Popularity and admiration walk hand in hand. The desire to be esteemed, respected, admired, and even promoted is wrapped up in our person. God’s working on us and in us to rend this from us. People will go to great lengths to gain admiration and respect of their peers, society, and future generations. Yet, when this came by consequence to our Savior, he shunned it and moved on.
Jesus heard the words that some people spend their whole lives chasing. “All men seek for thee.” You have done it! You are popular, admired, desired, and respected. All men seek for thee. They want a piece of you, they want to know what you know, and be part of what you are leading. Maybe they sought Jesus because of the miracles. Maybe it was the teaching, or the crowds, the buzz; maybe it was because of all of it. Regardless, all men sought him. This was the status that Christ had been elevated to. All men sought him, they sought to honor him and be honored by him. How many pastors, social leaders, businessmen and public speakers would long to hear these words: all men seek for thee. You’re the guy! You are the one that everyone is talking about! You are trending, popular, accepted, and desired. Your inbox is full, and your calendar flooded. Your Instagram has millions of followers and your Facebook billions of likes. All men seek for thee. What better stamp on your preaching, right? What better certification that your ministry is valid? That all men seek for you. That you are reaching thousands. The utilitarian minded amongst us would seek no further seal of approval than this; that all men seek for thee. If the building is full and the coffers overflowing, then you are on the right track. If some is good, more is better. Yet Christ, at the height of his popularity, rejected center stage, moved away from the spotlight, and continued in the will of the Father. He did not let the praise of men, or the popularity of His person diminish His desire to please God. The person of Christ would rise, and fall. He would ascend to be the nation’s most popular Rabbi, only to descend (by the world's standards) to being completely rejected. This roller coaster ride would have derailed the natural man who loved the praise of men, but Jesus wasn’t concerned with all that. He understood that loving and seeking the admiration of this world will put you at odds with God, because friendship of the world is enmity with God.
The world and the Father want different things. They have a desire for different outcomes. One is engrossed in the present, and the other is the eternal. One is captivated with the tangible and the other animated by the spiritual. The two can never coexist. It is not for us to dwell, strategize, labor, or promote so that many might seek us. Rather, to take to heart the words of Jesus always: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Mat 6:33) If it happens that men seek thee, examine carefully what you are baiting the hook with, and shun the very appearance of attraction with worldly mechanisms. Seek Christ, and if men seek for thee, show them Him.
