LABOR NOT FOR THE BREAD THAT IS TEMPORAL BUT FOR THE BREAD OF LIFE THAT LASTS ETERNAL
/
/
A Sunday Message
GOD KNOWS THE REAL PURSUITS OF OUR HEARTS
So intense the desire to find Jesus that the crowd stayed overnight after the miracle of the loaves and risked crossing the sea after a violent storm because they are fervently “SEEKING HIM”.
It is interesting to note how the Lord responds to the questions of MOTIVES and not to the inquiries of the MIND. When the Jews inquired, “Teacher, when did you come here?”, the answer of the Lord did not fit their question. This is what happens when our own desires are not at par with what God truly requires.
You see, the Lord Jesus Christ deeply knows our soul and is keenly aware of our true hunger. He knows the reasonings of our hearts (Luke 9:47), He perceives our thoughts (Luke 5:22), and is well aware of what is in us (John 2:25).
God will always respond to what is really within us, not on what we project without. This is the reason why when some people “believed” Him, He did not entrust Himself to them (John 2:24-25) and when the crowd wanted to make Him their King, He withdrew from them (John 6:15).
GOD KNOWS WHAT WE TRULY NEED
Whenever God deals with us, it will always be in accord with the true character of our hearts. That is where our real motives lie, our genuine love resides, and our true passion lives. Only God can truly recognize them. The Scriptures say that He knows what we need even before we ask (Matt. 6:8) and He knows all our days from beginning to end (Psalm 139:16).
Having complete knowledge of our lives and everything else, He is the only person who is qualified to appraise and determine what we need to strive for and the only one on whose eyes our true pursuits are laid bare. This is the reason why man can never recognize the legitimate needs of his life unless he humbly surrenders to God’s divine wisdom and fully trust Him with all his heart.
MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE
Ignorance of God leads to the blindness of our hearts. If we do not know Him, we will fail to understand the real hunger of our soul and will exclusively run after worldly pursuits and earthly needs, swaying our deep affections.
Satan tempted Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:1-6) the same way he did the Son of God (Matt. 4:2-4), convincing them to disregard the will of God for the satisfaction of their own desires and physical needs. This will always be a strong temptation for humanity in all generations. Everyone needs to understand that we are not just physical bodies living in a material existence, but we are also spiritual beings whose greater satisfaction and joy lie on spiritual subsistence. Therefore, it will be eternally harmful for the human soul to disengage the reality of God from the necessities of his life.
MATTHEW 4:4
But He (Jesus) answered, “It is written, “ ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT COMES FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.’ ”
Physical provisions can sustain us in this earthly life but only the Almighty God can provide ETERNAL LIFE. The Lord Jesus said:
JOHN 6:27
“DO NOT LABOR 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.”
JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE
IN JESUS CHRIST, there is LIFE (John 1:4), and He came to reveal the divine glory to us, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). He is Himself the True God made flesh. By His words and His works, He unveiled to us that He is the true Provider and the ultimate Provision at the same time.
The miracle of the loaves SIGNIFIED (that is why it is called ‘sign’) to the people that He has the power to provide for those who will believe Him and He is the only one who can satisfy the ultimate hunger of their lives. The very one who multiplied the bread is Himself the Bread of Life.
JOHN 6:33, 35
“For THE BREAD OF GOD is He who comes down from heaven and GIVES LIFE TO THE WORLD.” 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.”
Unfortunately, the people were seeking Jesus, not because of WHO HE IS, but only for the earthly bread that He gives.
JOHN 6:26
“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.”
They have gained the physical provision only to lose the eternal salvation. Jesus died on the cross to give His life a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28) so that whoever will come to Him and only for Him will be redeemed for eternity.
May we have the courage not just to provide bread to the needy but to present the Bread of Life as their ultimate necessity.
Your Pastor (Jay-R Remorosa)