There was once a wealthy businessman, let’s name him John, who was known for his generous donations to various charities. He would give large sums of money to hospitals, schools, and shelters, and his name was often listed as a top donor in his community. People loved John, they saw his good deeds and they deeply respected him. One day, a reporter asked John why he gave so much of his money away. John didn’t really want to answer because he knew that the real reason was that he liked seeing his name on the buildings built with his money, and on the plaques that commemorated his giving. He felt important when he was recognised. But his motivation was, at least in part, driven by a desire for personal glory and to leave a legacy behind. He wanted the right thing but for the wrong reason.
Sometimes people come to Jesus for the wrong reason too. In our passage we see such people. Let’s have a look.
Scripture: John 6:22-59 (ESV)
“On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labour for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
This is an interesting passage that is a bit shocking in parts. Remember that this happens just after Jesus fed the five thousand. He had performed this amazing miracle in which he multiplied bread to such an extend that 5 loaves fed everyone and multiplied into 12 baskets full of leftovers.
The crowd couldn’t get enough of him. When they saw that Jesus left, they hunted for him and tracked him down. They wanted more bread from this amazing miracle beadmaker. But notice what Jesus does – he calls them out. He straight up tells them they only want him because they want free bread. They weren’t interested in being his disciples, they weren’t interested in who Jesus was, they weren’t interested in understanding what the miracle meant.
So Jesus tells them, “I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty”. In fact Jesus goes so far as to tell them that unless they eat of his flesh and drink of his blood they would never be able to abide in him.
If you read ahead to the passage, we will look at next, you see that his disciples say “This is a hard teaching, Who can accept it?”. And eventually many of his followers leave him at that point.
So what is the point? Jesus wants us to understand that we can come to him for the wrong reasons. These people wanted to come to him for free bread, but today we can come to him to get other things. It could be wealth and prosperity, it could be healing from sickness, it could be because the church offers a community that soothes our loneliness. It could be a whole range of reasons. But the reality is, when we come to Jesus to get anything other than Jesus, we are doing the same thing this crowd did.
Jesus says if you come to him to get him, and not just what he provides, then you get eternal life.
So what about you? Do you want Giver or the gift?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we admit and confess that we sometimes follow you for what you provide. But Lord help purify us so that we will be satisfied in you alone. Help us to seek you as the giver even if there are no other gifts. Amen.
Spiritual Challenge:
Today think of something that fills your time. Give up that thing to spend time with Jesus through his word and prayer.
Seeking the Giver and not the Gift