Articles
How Jesus Was Misunderstood (5)
“You seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” (John 6:26)
When a large crowd followed Jesus into the wilderness, they did not take any provisions with them. When they became hungry, the Lord fed them by miraculously multiplying the food on hand. This act of kindness, however, was misinterpreted. They missed the deeper significance of the signs which pointed to His divinity and instead focused on the material benefit they thought they could pry out of Him.
When He challenged their motive, they asked, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do?” (Jn 6:30). Incredible! After what they had just seen?! They then pressured Him to copy Moses and feed them regularly as Moses had done with the manna (6:31).
If we are to grasp God’s will for our lives, we must think beyond our physical needs. A spiritual God cannot be found through carnal appetites. Many religious hucksters today use these tactics, but they are deluding themselves and their followers. But let us be warned as well: “He who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Gal 6:8).
