What's in It for Me?

“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled." // John 6:26

What’s in it for me? is the silent question behind just about everything we do today. It determines what we eat and wear, who we associate with and how we use our money. Sadly, it is also often how we approach the Gospel, like a benefit-package.

No one saw this tragedy lived out more than Jesus. The crowds mobbed Him seeking ‘more’ but leaving empty, having embraced lesser things, forfeiting real treasure. They even wanted to make Him king—their Bread King. But Jesus knew, only too well, the plain and unpalatable truth: they followed Him because their bellies were filled.

“You are looking for me,” Jesus said, “not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves” (John 6:26).

How inconceivable the loss, when signs become the end and the One signified the means? No wonder they were incessantly unsatisfied, wrestling with want and leaving without seeking an explanation.

What’s in it for me?

There are days when I’m tempted to serve God for the benefits I hope to enjoy. There are times when I demand a full blueprint and succumb to quick fixes rather than wait. There are moments when I seek to save myself, when I opt for pain-free paths, when I’m looking to be filled only for now—not thinking about eternal consequences.

What is my motive for the profession of my faith? Selfish and prudential? Worldly and utilitarian? Am I seeking Him for gain? Pursuing Him for reward?

Jesus does not eliminate the concern for daily food. Nor does He remove concern for all that can make life more progressive. But Jesus doesn’t just want to give bread. He wants to be Bread. He wants to live in us. He wants to be at the center of our longing so we can be fully satisfied and overflow for others.

Jesus gives us signs so He can elevate our earthly visions to eternal horizons, to appetites far more significant than simply fulfilling human desires.

For all who are hungry, the Bread of Heaven has come down and He wants us to have everything the Father offers!

The Bread of Heaven has come down. // Michelle D'SilvaClick to tweet

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