Dear Christian friends:

A recent Gallup poll showed that 86% of Americans claim to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. I find that hard to believe. For if 86% of us were genuine Christians we would not be having some of the tremendous moral and social problems that are plaguing us and impeding us as a nation.

People may claim to be Christians, yet in fact may not be. People seek Christ and relate to him for various reasons, some good and some not so good.

Our text, deals with people who were seeking Christ and invites us to examine our own motives for seeking him.


At times we may seek Jesus for the wrong reasons. The people of Galilee sought Jesus for the wrong reasons. The day before they had witnessed Jesus' miracle of multiplying the five loaves and two small fishes and with that feeding more than five-thousand people. (verses 5-14) But they did not draw the right conclusion from this miracle. So Jesus and His disciples slipped away from them. (verses 15-17)

Our text tells us that they came in search of him, and when they found him, Jesus, who knows man's heart, bluntly told them the truth, "You are looking for me, not because you saw a miraculous sign, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill." (verse 26)

The conclusion they should have drawn from the miracle is that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Christ, the One that should redeem the nations, giving them the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Instead they drew the conclusion that Jesus would make for them a free meal ticket. They sought Jesus for the wrong reason.

People today may seek Jesus for the wrong reasons. Our foreign missionaries sometimes speak of "rice Christians." As you probably know our missionaries usually try to help the poor and the hungry and open medical clinics for the sick. In this way they gain people's attention and establish rapport, which may in turn lead to opportunities to speak the Gospel to them. Frequently people become "converts" primarily for the economic and medical benefits, not for their spiritual need. When the benefits are reduced or cease the "Christians" disappear. Thus the term "rice Christian."

Well, we may have some rice Christians in our churches here at home, also. Some church members seem to care more for the ladies supper than for the Lord's Supper. Some people join a church looking for business and business contacts. I knew a saleslady who belonged to two churches for that very reason. Some may join a church to get a job or a husband or wife. Others may join for the sake of entertainment, sports or social status.

Today there are many church members and so called evangelical pastors who look to Christ that they may be blessed in this life with good health, wealth and tranquility, who embrace a gospel of glory rather than the gospel of the cross and cross bearing. Others see Christ as a stern judge who punishes them when they sin and rewards them when they do good. If they do more good than evil He will accept them into His kingdom.

How gracious Jesus was to be patient with those who sought him for the wrong reasons, and to redirect their seeking of him. Henry Martyn, a missionary to India, was discouraged when he saw how the Hindus cared more for his free loaves than for the Bread of Life, and he was ready to give up the work. But then he remembered this text and thought to himself: "If the Lord Jesus was not ashamed of preaching to such bread-seekers, who am I that I should give them over in disgust?

Our ever gracious Lord lovingly redirects us to seek him for the right reasons. He graciously and lovingly redirected the people of Galilee that day. He told them to seek him for what and who he really is. He tells them that he did not come to provide food that spoils, "but the food that endures to eternal life." (verse 27)

Then he told them what exactly this food was, namely, he, himself: "For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (verses 33 & 35) So Jesus would also graciously and lovingly redirect us today in our seeking him.

He would have us get our priorities in the right order. We tend to put working for "the bread that spoils" first, ahead of working for the bread that endures. It's true that we must spend a lot of time working for our daily bread and all the things we need to support our physical life here on earth. Jesus even tells us to pray for daily bread in the Lord's Prayer.

However, that is not to be our first priority. Our first priority is to have the food that endures to eternal life, the spiritual food. In the Lord's Prayer there is only one petition that asks for the bread that spoils, but there are six petitions that ask for spiritual, eternal blessings related to the food that endures to eternal life.

So we need to give church services, Bible classes, family devotions and personal Bible study top priority in our daily schedule. Jesus lovingly redirects us to get our priorities in the right order.

Jesus would also redirect us to seek him for who he really is, not one that we have imagined in our corrupt minds or one that some false preacher has presented to us. In our text Jesus was very careful to correct the misconceptions that the people had of him. He does this by a play on the word "work."

He says, "Do not work for the food that spoils, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you." (verse 27) We are to work for that which is given? The people, always eager to work their way into heaven, said to him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" (verse 28) Jesus sets them straight, saying, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (verse 29) The people ask about "works", plural; Jesus answers, "work", singular. Not works, but one work, faith; not do, but trust.

Christ here plainly teaches justification by faith without the works of law. He plainly teaches that the Father sent him, the eternal Son, from heaven, he who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus would have us seek him who gives eternal life, not just a comfortable temporal life.

This is the true Jesus, the bread of God who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. He is the bread of life. He who comes to this Jesus will never go hungry and he who believes in this Jesus will never be thirsty.

Jesus lovingly redirects us to seek him and feed on him, the Bread of Life, rather than seeking him for the bread that spoils. Lord, help us to be redirected!

Amen.