Bread of Life

Scripture: When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” John 6:25-27

Observation: The other day I mentioned a friend who said that Christianity was for weak people who couldn't handle life. One of the reasons that isn't true is right here ... Jesus warned against it, and as a result followers left him.

Jesus has just fed the 5,000, and many of those recipients came looking for him. However, Jesus tells them they are looking for him for the wrong reason - if they are in need of food, that's just seeking someone else to help them survive in life. They should instead be doing the work of God, which is believing in Jesus as Messiah, (verses 28-29). When they argued that God gave the Israelites actual food (verses 30-31), he teaches them they need to seek the 'bread of life' (verses 32-59).

By the end of this chapter, many of the 5,000 have found this teaching to be to hard (verse 60) and deserted him (verse 66).

In other words ... Jesus told them that they needed to quit looking for a handout, and instead do the work of God, and as a result the weak people left.

Application: Following Jesus - REALLY believing in Jesus - is NOT the easy way. It is not the path that allows those who are struggling in life to suddenly not struggle. It is instead that path that leads anyone into a future eternal life, and thus allows them perspective on the very real struggles of life.

I wish more Christians understood this. I see a lot of Christians who treat the church as a welfare organization that needs to take care of them because the "believe". They don't want to serve themselves, and they don't tithe, and they don't show up every Sunday, and they rarely pray, and the hate the worship music, and they disagree with the pastor's message ... but they claim they believe.

And what do others see? Obviously, they see weak people who can't handle life, and who don't have a life that reflects much good, but who attend church.

What they don't see enough is the core - those people who have just as much strife in life, but have their eyes set on a different prize ... on a different standard, and with lives that reflect that standard.

Prayer: Jesus, I do NOT want to judge, so please ... help me to stay focused on being one of your sheep. And then help me be a sheep that becomes a clear reflection of you in this world. I seek to serve you, and not concern myself with how others are serving you. May I show mercy and compassion, by both providing for practical needs of others WITH the context of Jesus. May I feed others with your bread of heaven - bread of life.