Believe In The One Whom God Has Sent (John 6:29)

"Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life."

(John 6:27)

How many times do you think that Jesus actually walked on water? The bible records just one such incident, but I am sure Jesus must have done it a few more times, though unrecorded. Jesus came to earth in the form of man, however in this passage his divinity shone by his walking on water, for only God can walk on water (Job 9:8). Peter tried but couldn’t complete the task. Today's gospel starts off with Jesus walking on the lake and concludes with belief in Jesus the 'Bread of Life'.

The day after Jesus fed the five thousand, he is no where to be found, so the people go in search of him. They spotted Jesus and his disciples in Capernaum, Jesus' principal base in Galilee. Unaware that this is Jesus' base, the crowd questions Jesus about when and how he reached this place, he brushes aside their questions. They have sought him out, he tells them, merely because they filled their bellies with the food he gave them – they have not perceived the deeper meaning of the multiplication of loaves and who Jesus really is. He says, "Do not work for food that cannot last, but work for food that endures to eternal life, the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you."

All the riches, power, popularity and in this case food are but a few of the many temporary things that we acquire in this world. They are all perishable. At times, we seek these things thinking that it will fulfill us and their possession will bring us peace. When our cravings are satisfied, we still lack the peace and joy we are looking for. The crowds too must have experienced this kind of dissatisfaction from worldly things hence they asks, "What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?" Jesus gave them this answer, "You must believe in the one he has sent."

It is as simple as that. All we have to do is place our trust and belief in Jesus who is the Eternal Bread. Only Jesus can nourish us and satisfy our every desire. Our hearts are restless until they rest in the Lord. God created us for his greater glory, to love him and to love one another, not to love things that we can buy. We cannot gain peace from anything outside God, no matter how hard we try. The only way to experience this eternal peace and happiness is to make Jesus the centre of our lives.

"Thank you Jesus, for revealing the way to life eternal, I pray dear Lord, that the cares of this life may never choke my spiritual growth."