January 29
JOHN 6
22 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. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 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.
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 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.
– John 6:22-26
JOHN 6 SEEKING TO GET SOMETHING
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Our sinful nature wants to satisfy our human desires
It always seeks to cater to our needs and hungers
Without the Holy Spirit, we will always feed our flesh
Without God, we will always be preserving ourselves
Only when we receive the steadfast love of the Lord
Will we begin to let go of the systems of this world.
In this account we see how those people Jesus fed were all clamoring to get more from him. They didn’t really chase him for who He was. Although they have been waiting for a Messiah for a long time, they didn’t really know how to receive that life that Jesus was offering them. They were so much in bondage to sin. They could not even recognize what they really needed. They think they only want the basic needs in life such as food. They had no clue that their hearts long for God. Their poverty is not just physical but more spiritual. They didn’t know what Jesus was offering because they are so used to living transactional lives. They only care to get their wants and needs met. They didn’t know they were poor in spirit. They didn’t know they needed a Savior because they couldn’t see their sinfulness. They were consumed by their needs and desires to have a better life. They didn’t see the eternal life that Jesus came to give them.
REFLECTION
• What makes man engage in transactional relationships rather than loving ones?
