Hungry?

Hungry?

“’What sign then are You going to do so we may see and believe You?’ they asked. ‘What are You going to perform?’” John 6:30

If there was ever a time for Jesus to become frustrated in His earthly ministry, this was it! Consider this: between chapters two and six of the gospel of John, Jesus has performed five miraculous signs. He had turned water into wine, healed the son of a royal official, healed a man who had been lame for 38 years, fed 5,000 people with only five barley loaves and two fish, and had walked on the water, stilling the storm and calming the disciples, three miles from land.

After this resume of the miraculous, probably including many more that are not recorded, the crowds ask what Jesus is going to do so they can believe! But we are not very different. We also want Jesus to perform some proof, some action that will assuage our smallest doubts. And, when He does not bow to our silly demands, we walk away with a chip on our shoulder; the Almighty Son of God has not bent His will to our curiosity.

Imagine that you were in the crowd when Jesus fed 5,000 with barely a child-size lunch. Passover was near, so it was mid-spring. The sky was crystal blue, the grass lush and green. You had followed Him to this spot because you had seen Him healing the sick. You wanted to see more. You wanted to hear what He was going to say. Perhaps here was the One who the prophets said was coming. If that was so, you wanted to be part of this new thing. You were tired of Roman occupation and maybe you though Jesus was just the One to lead a revolt, leading you to freedom just like Moses had back in Egypt.

The day grew long and no one had expected to stay so late. Your stomach grumbled and you considered getting an early start home so you could arrive before dark. But you hear Jesus ask Philip, one of the disciples, how they were going to feed the huge crowd. (You were glad you weren’t in Philip’s sandals, because you had no clue how to answer that question.) Everyone knew it would take nearly a year’s wages to provide as much as a snack for everyone. So, when another disciple said there was a boy with five barley loaves and two fish, you wondered if you had misheard. You wondered, “What are they among so many?”

Jesus had everyone sit down; you looked around for the rest of your family, and found a place in the shade. Jesus gave thanks for the loaves, and then they were distributed, along with the fish. With the salt-cured taste on your tongue, you realized everyone was served, and everyone had as much as they wanted. There was no need to ration at all. Besides that, there were 12 large baskets of leftovers!

Yet, you found yourself, the very next day, with a smaller crowd, asking Jesus, “What great miracle will You do so we can really believe?” What more could the crowd need? If only they had realized what all this bread and fish really meant. Even though there was more than enough for everyone, they all were hungry the next day. Everyone ate three square meals the day afterward.

If only they realized that Jesus was the true Bread. He is more than enough for everyone; no need for rationing His supply. But, in an even greater way, He is the bread who makes us hunger no more; who fully satisfies. You see, we are glad to have Jesus to tricks for us; but to admit He is the source of our entire life’s fulfillment takes a huge leap on our part. We have to admit our political plans have no lasting effect. We have to realize what we knew all along, that one relationship after another leaves us our soul as empty as the people’s bellies on that day. We must come to the realization that God is not my Master Magician who performs acts of wonder at the drop of a hat.

To receive Jesus as our Living Bread, our complete source of sustenance and fulfillment requires deep humility. We must believe that God is our complete supply, and that this is the only way in which life goes well. We truly do not live on “bread alone”, but on the Bread of Heaven Himself. But, we only experience this as we are willing to let go of all else that is in our hands. For me, it is time to stop asking Jesus to dance to my tune; it is time to let Him take the lead.