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."
The “full tummy” crowds diligently sought Christ’s hand albeit looking for loaves in lieu of looking for His love. Unfortunately, we often approach our Lord in like manner, seeking His hand before we seek His face. “Meet our needs, Lord”; “Give us this and that, Lord”; “Make us well, Lord”; “Change our circumstances, Lord” and on and on our list goes. While it is true we certainly need food and drink, health and clothing, our greatest need, by far, is our salvation - found only in Jesus – the Savior of our weary souls.
“My goal is God Himself, not joy nor peace, nor even blessing, but Himself, my God.” F. Brook
In our verses for today, Jesus does not condone laziness rather He promotes priorities. He begins by getting our attention with His words: “I tell you the truth” - red flagging us, if you will, to take heed of what He was about to say – feed your soul before feeding your stomach. The prophet Isaiah rightly states:
1 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. 3 Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. Isaiah 55:1-3 (NIV)
Indeed, worldly products, power, prestige or privilege - no matter how much we may possess - will never satisfy the thirsty soul – they will always be found wanting. God tells us through the prophet Haggai:
5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." 7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. 9 "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands." Hag 1:5-11 (NIV)
The Jewish remnant was busy about their personal affairs – each absorbed with their own houses – yet neglecting God’s house. Interestingly, we are guilty of doing the same today – to our own disservice. If we are not careful, we too work for food that spoils and not for food that eternally endures. We are to work first for that “food” which belongs to the soul - being unspeakably desirable and enduring to eternal life. We should not make the things of this world our chief care and concern. We often hunger for as food, worldly wealth, honor and pleasure - inordinately laboring after them as our chief good yet all of this will perish in a poof when the fire eventually tests the quality of our work. Just as the prophet Haggai has told us to “Give careful thought to our ways”, Paul tells us in First Corinthians that we are to be careful how we build upon the foundation of Christ:
10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Cor 3:10-15 (NIV)
Lastly, we are told that the seal of God’s approval has been placed on Jesus. As believers in Christ, we too are now marked with the seal of the precious Holy Spirit a loving indication of our security, authentication and approval, certification of genuineness and identification of ownership. We are God’s temple as God’s Sprit dwells within us. Paul tells us in Ephesians:
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory. Eph 1:13-14 (NIV)
“The capital of Heaven is the heart in which Jesus Christ is enthroned as King.” Sundar Singh