Labor not for the meat which perisheth,
but for that meat
which endureth unto Everlasting Life,
which the SON+ of Man shall give unto you:
for HIM+ hath GOD The FATHER sealed.
John 6:22 - 27
The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one where into His+ disciples were entered, and that JESUS went not with His+ disciples into the boat, but that His+ disciples were gone away alone;
(Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that The LORD had given thanks:) When the people therefore saw that JESUS was not there, neither His+ disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum,
seeking for JESUS.
And when they had found HIM+ on the other side of the sea, they said unto HIM+, Rabbi, when camest Thou+ hither?
JESUS answered them and said,
Verily, verily, I+ say unto you, Ye seek ME+, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
Labor not for the meat which perisheth,
but for that meat
which endureth unto Everlasting Life,
which the SON+ of Man shall give unto you:
for HIM+ hath GOD The FATHER sealed.
John 6:22 - 27
Q. 1: Who were the people looking for ? ___________
YES, JESUS. They realized HE+ did not go with the disciples in the only boat available. This puzzled them greatly because they could not find HIM+ where HE+ was.
Q. 2: What did they REMEMBER that JESUS did ?
_______________________________________________
YES, they remembered that JESUS fed them FREE BREAD and FISHES and that there was plenty, more than enough for all.
Q. 3: What was their first question to JESUS when they saw HIM+ on the other side of the sea [ or bay ] ? _______________________________________________
They asked JESUS when HE+ arrived there.
Q. 4: Did JESUS answer their question ? _______
NO. NO, HE+ DID NOT !
Q. 4: Why did JESUS ignore that question ?
______________________________________________
His+ answer as to “when” would have led to asking HIM+ “how” HE+ traversed the sea or bay. That would have set the discussion in the wrong direction . . . pointing their attention to another miracle instead of to the crucial issue at hand.
Q. 5: What was that crucial issue ?
What they ______________ from HIM+ again.
Q. 6: What reason did The LORD JESUS state was the REAL reason the people went to the effort and expense to take shipping and look for HIM+ ?
________________________________________________
The LORD JESUS had just fed the multitudes with Bread, with the giving of thanks and the breaking of it. It was near Passover. HE+ fed them from HIMSELF+.
Yet, their eyes were still fixed on the carnal, on the temporal.
They missed the REAL GIVING of HIMSELF+, The SON+ of GOD, to feed them.
They went to the effort and expense to find HIM+ because they ate and were well-filled, not because they realized Who+ HE+ was and where that Bread came from.
The LORD JESUS reproved them, and admonished them, saying:
Labor not for the meat which perisheth,
but for that meat
which endureth unto Everlasting Life,
which the SON+ of Man shall give unto you:
for HIM+ hath GOD The FATHER sealed.
+ + +
Why do we seek JESUS ?
Furthermore,
how do we present JESUS to others ?
As the great “Santa Claus” in the sky who will give us whatever we ask for, if only we “believe” ?
+ + +
LET US PRAY:
Holy FATHER, I come before YOU now, knowing most of my prayers and petitions have been for myself, for what I want, for what I think I always need.
Yet, Your Beloved SON+ told me in The WORD to “seek FIRST the Kingdom of GOD and HIS Righteousness” and all these things will be added unto me.
I see I have been guilty of urging others to “ask of YOU” whatever they want or need, whether they serve YOU or not or whether they even intend to serve Your Holy SON+ JESUS CHRIST.
Yet, I have neglected to admonish others to set aside their own needs and do what Your WORD tells each of us to do: to seek FIRST the Kingdom of GOD.
Help me, O LORD, not to trample the PEARLS in the mud in my effort to obtain the “meat that perishes.”
Help me , O LORD, to seek the Face of Your Holy SON+ JESUS instead, Who+ loved me and gave His+ Life for me.
Then, “all these things” shall be added unto me, in due season, in good measure, pressed together, and over-flowing.
In the Holy Name of JESUS CHRIST our SAVIOR+, the ONE+ Who+ saves me from my Self. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment