January 14 Following the Food

John 6:22-27 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
 
VERY quickly, the news of Jesus’ miraculous “5,000 Feast” had spread into Galilee’s cities and towns. Boats came from Tiberius, a city inhabited primarily by Gentiles, and there were some Jews who were living outside of God’s law. The new arrivals and those who feasted the day before came in anticipation of another meal. They hoped and even expected God was about to repeat the miracle of manna in the desert during the 40-year journey of the Jews to the Promised Land. Surely, the kingdom of God has come in this man Jesus.
   Then the crowd learned of Jesus and his disciples’ return to Capernaum. They, too, traveled across the sea and found Jesus to ask, “When did you get here?” You have to credit them with their persistence to keep following him. And John hints they may have wondered if Jesus had miraculously traveled home.
   But what did they want? According to Jesus, who certainly knew their hearts, their focus is food. Even though Jesus had also fed them God’s Word at the “5,000 Fast”, they cared not to feed their souls to know God. Many were living apart from God’s laws. They didn’t know God and had no desire to learn. Instead, they wanted an instant, stomach-filling meal, good for only a few hours.
   Odd, isn’t it that food is a symbol here of a lack of faith? What’s wrong with wanting a good meal? A good meal, though, becomes a sinful lust when it is held above God’s Word. You will see this truth in Jesus’ reply to Satan’s temptation in Matthew 4:3 “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”  Then Jesus responded, quoting from Deuteronomy 8: Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” God fed his people in the desert and on the mountainside to teach them, “I believe God’s Word is life.”
   The sinful heart always puts temporary gratification over God’s eternal truth. Just ask Eve, David and Solomon. They saw how the lust for the “now” satisfaction took them away from intimately knowing God. Such desires keep us from desiring God.
 
Prayer: Teach me, Spirit, to rejoice in your everlasting commands. I pray for a BIG – Believing In God – appetite to rejoice in you each day. Amen.