Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” [John 6.26-27]
My wife tells me sometimes, "You only love me because I cook for you..."
Until today, I never realized that was scriptural!
My dear wife wants me to want "her" - not her cooking. And, nothing more clearly describes the point Jesus was trying to make! Imagine sitting at the table to eat and never understanding the love behind the meal! And yet, that is exactly what so many people do with Jesus (not to mention their wives).
Day after day we go to God for what He can do for us never understanding His indescribable love for us. He sees that we enjoy the gifts but fail to acknowledge the love behind them.
But Jesus got the point across eventually... Once He described Himself as the Bread of Life insisting that His followers eat His flesh and drink His blood, it "got real." The difference between those satisfying their physical hunger and those satisfying their spiritual hunger became evident.
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” [John 6.47-51]
As Jesus more clearly described Himself as the Bread of Life, the "follower" pool decreased drastically! And, so it is today. Just about everyone enjoys emotional worship and receiving blessings from God, but stop the music, turn on the lights, and start talking about discipleship... now that's a game changer!
"You are what you eat" is a popular and accurate saying these days. Jesus' life was invested in the lives of others. Period. If we "eat" Jesus, then our lives will be invested in others too. PERIOD.
I suppose we could all do well asking ourselves, "Am I living to eat? Or, am I eating to live?" This is a real eye-opener when considered in context of Jesus being the Bread of Life. We should consider whether we only "love the taste" of Jesus, or consume Him because we know it is the only way to be like Him.
This topic should not be a "passing fad" with us. We should understand that our lives are not our own just to be satisfied with Jesus! Our lives must grow on the nourishment of Christ so that we might grow into Him. We are to "become the butterfly" leaving our caterpillar existence behind.
Oh wow. Wow. Wow.
Father, feed me Jesus today so that my life is transformed into His...
No comments:
Post a Comment