Tuesday 28th February
Read John 6:28-35
“Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’
29 Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’
30 So they asked him, ‘What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”’
32 Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’
34 ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘always give us this bread.’
35 Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (NIVUK)
The naivety of the people, that they could meet whatever demands God would place upon them, if only they were told (v28), is immensely humbling. It reflects a ‘can-do’ attitude that is just as prevalent today. The desire to meet God on our own terms, to make a name for ourselves and blaze our own path to heaven, is established deep in the human heart.
Jesus’ response is just as humbling. The only ‘work’ required is faith in Him (v29). And faith is the free gift of the Son of Man to all those the Father has given Him (v27). It is impossible for anyone to boast in what they have done for God to earn ‘bread from heaven’. Our pride rebels against this gift in every possible way.
The people could not hear what Jesus was saying. They ask for a(nother?) sign to prove His credentials that belief in Him is all that is required. If feeding the multitude is all He can do, well Moses was better than that, and He needs to be better than Moses if His bread will last forever. The irony of the passage they are likely quoting is rich indeed.
“But they continued to sin against him,
rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
18 They willfully put God to the test
by demanding the food they craved.
19 They spoke against God;
they said, ‘Can God really
spread a table in the wilderness?
20 True, he struck the rock,
and water gushed out,
streams flowed abundantly,
but can he also give us bread?
Can he supply meat for his people?’
21 When the Lord heard them, he was furious;
his fire broke out against Jacob,
and his wrath rose against Israel,
22 for they did not believe in God
or trust in his deliverance.
23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above
and opened the doors of the heavens;
24 he rained down manna for the people to eat,
he gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Human beings ate the bread of angels;
he sent them all the food they could eat.” (Psalm 78:17-25) (NIVUK)
Just like the people of old, all God’s abundance was for nothing… “In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;in spite of his wonders, they did not believe.” (Psalm 78:32) (NIVUK). Even if God came down from heaven and gave them life, they would refuse to believe. And belief is all that was required…
Pray for the wisdom to believe and not trust in one’s own works and goodness to be saved. But to trust in the gift of grace given to us.
