In John 5 and 6, I can almost hear some frustration in Jesus' words as he tries to explain that HE is the One thing that can satisfy our souls. While is is certainly concerned with our physical needs - we see him heal the invalid at the pool and feed the five thousand because they were hungry - he is much, much more concerned with our spiritual needs.
Over and over again in John, we hear "believe", "eternal life", and eternally satisfying water and food. Food and water are certainly things we can relate to. We have cravings for food and can be so thirsty our lips are dry. But, do we hunger and thirst for God and His word like we do for physical things? (I need to pause here and say, "I'm convicted.")
As has been stated so many times in this blog, God reminds us over and over again in His Word that He is most concerned with the state of our hearts.
- Although we know Jesus knew the mind of the cripple, he asked: "Do you want to be healed?" He wanted the man to verbalize his answer and take an active part in the healing process. Interestingly, this man did not know who Jesus was as he was healed. However, Jesus pursued the man afterwards to reveal himself again and to discuss spiritual matters. He wanted to make sure the man knew of the eternal consequences of sin... far worse than being crippled.
- Jesus also knew the minds of the Jewish people who accused Jesus of working on the Sabbath. Under great pressure of being killed, Jesus seemed to take much time to explain to them that God is ALWAYS at work in people's lives. Jesus had some strong words for these Jewish people who were accusing him. He told them they knew the scriptures backwards and forwards, but did not know God. How sad! They were missing the whole point and certainly were not satisfied.
- When approached with the five thousand men and their families, Jesus knew they were hungry. He used this as an opportunity to build faith in his disciples and to meet the physical needs of a huge mass of people. However, most importantly, he wanted to minister to the people spiritually telling them how to receive everlasting satisfaction and a fulfilling life.
I enjoy the simplicity of some of John's words. If there was any
question about what God's work is all about and how we should be involved, here is the simple answer:
"The work of God is this:
to believe in the one he has sent."
~ John 6:29
Jesus longs for us to crave Him and be fully satisfied in Him. As we prepare our Thanksgiving meals for our families (and others) and as we enter into a busy season of gift giving, let's not forget the eternal work to be done. Let's honor Jesus and remind or tell others of the Bread of Life.
"For the bread of God is he
who comes down from heaven and
gives life to the world."
~ John 6:33
