Mold

Today’s bread may be tomorrow’s mold. Some things just don’t last. The air is filled with thousands of species of fungi. When food is left out mold forms turning organic matter into nutrient rich soil. Some varieties of mold can double in size every hour. Molds create what science calls biotic decomposition or biodegradation of almost every substance known, except some metals. Food is degraded by mold and more quickly at warmer temperatures. Most things in life are only temporary such as health, wealth, applause and gold medals. Why are we so enamored with things that do not last? All our bodies could eventually just mold and turn to dust. I love conversations with the elderly. They more than anyone else realize the temporary nature of things. Let’s eat the bread that will not spoil, Jesus Christ (John 6:24-35).

Misinterpreting miracles

How many people are guilty of misinterpreting miracles? When people chase miracles as an end in themselves they miss the point? That was precisely the problem with the crowd who followed Jesus after the miracle of the fish and loaves (John 6:24-35). Miracles are a common theme among some Christians today. They chase miracles of healing, financial providence and other kinds of divine intervention. Of course God can and does intervene in people’s lives and heal today. Despite the fakers and scoffers there are documented cases of genuine miracles today. That is not the problem. The problem is when we miss the purpose behind any divine miracle. It pays to be very cautious when people claim to be spirit-filled but over-emphasize physical issues like health and wealth. Miracles ought to lead us to a deeper spiritual life in Christ.

Doing the work

What is doing the work of God? Does it involve our hands or our hearts? Jesus said that it is belief in the one that God has sent (John 6:24-35). When we pursue outward works alone as a measure of our faith, we forget that seemingly good works can come from a heart of unbelief. Jesus emphasized what was of primary importance, belief in him. Repentance comes from two Greek words meaning literally a change of mind.[1] Jesus confronted various religious leaders of his day with the challenge that a genuine change of heart involves good fruits (Matthew 3:8). Their hearts were still filled with unbelief and so their work was hypocritical, hollow and pointless. Christians are called to a life of good works. For works to be genuinely good, they must begin in a repentant heart.

[1] http://concordances.org/greek/3341.htm

Materialistic Christianity

It is an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms, yet materialistic Christianity has always been popular. Jesus admonished a crowd that followed him after a miraculous pot luck not to pursue material things but the things of God (John 6:24-35). Does that mean that God is not interested in our health or financial well-being? Of course he is, otherwise Jesus would not have provided food for the large crowd. However, his physical provision was in a spiritual context, his teaching. He did not teach them how to manage food resources, gain more food and certainly not that such provision was the entire purpose of God. The food was a provision along the way to a much higher purpose, the things of God. When we pursue the physical and forget the most important things, then we have a false, materialistic Christianity.

Why politicians don’t answer questions

News reporters criticise politicians for not answering questions, yet that is one thing that politicians often do right. A reporter may be setting a trap, or asking irrelevant trivia, not the real issue. Like Jesus a wise politician may not answer the question, but the real issue (John 6:24-35). People in the crowd asked Jesus, “When did you get here?” In similar circumstances we may be tempted to answer something like, “Oh a few hours ago.” But, that is not the answer Jesus gave. Instead of answering the question, he answered the issue. Paraphrasing, "You came looking for another free meal. Don’t waste more time on physical food. Work for permanent food that the Son of Man provides, guaranteed by God the Father to last forever." The real issue was that they were materialistic, trivializing the things of God.

Let’s not miss the real meal

As we read of Jesus’ miraculous provision of physical food (John 6:1-21), let’s not miss the real meal. Physical provision lasts a day. Spiritual provision lasts forever. After Jesus’ had miraculously provided for the nourishment of a large crowd, he withdrew to a mountain alone. They wanted to make him a king. They looked to the material world for answers, a physical meal and a worldly king. Yet Jesus was the king of kings, the bread from heaven. Digesting Jesus is hard even for Christians. A materialistic health-wealth gospel is more readily popular than the gospel of Jesus. The outwardly visible icing on a church’s cake is often more popular than the message of the kingdom within. It is easy to get caught up in the music, liturgy, politics, fellowship and pot-luck meals and miss the bread of heaven.

Who is the Jesus here

In one church where we attended, some of the people wanted to organize a 500 mile trip to hear a certain evangelist. I was not interested and told them I prefer Jesus and him I find a lot closer to home. We often look to mere human beings to save us. Sometimes we even rely on our own strength to save us. Yet, who is the Jesus here? As we examine the story of Jesus feeding the great crowd of people with just five loaves and a couple of fish and Jesus walking on the rough and windblown waters during the night (John 6:1-21), perhaps it is good to ask, who is the Jesus here? When we need miraculous provision of urgent needs or to walk on water, let's remember who is the Jesus here. It is not us.

It’s not twelve o’clock yet

Through prayer alone George Müller trusted God to provide. For 64 years he “cared for and educated over 18,000 children; educated over 100,000 more in other schools at the Orphanage's expense; distributed hundreds of thousands of Bibles and tens of millions of religious tracts; supported about 150 missionaries; travelled over 200,000 miles as a missionary himself; and shared the Gospel with over 3 million people around the world.”[1] He prayed and God provided. By the time he died at age 93 God had supplied the equivalent of $150 million in today’s money. Once close to lunchtime there was no food to feed the orphans and a worried assistant came to Müller who replied, “It’s not twelve o’clock yet.” Then a truck filled with needed food arrived unsolicited. God provides in impossible circumstances (John 6:1-21).
[1] http://www.christianmanhood.net/reformers/George_Mueller.html

What is the Abundant Life

Jesus promised the abundant life (John 10:10). As our Great Shepherd he promised to lead us to a spiritual pasture that provides real food to fulfill our most important needs and our deepest longings. In the beatitudes, Jesus promised real happiness in his kingdom, real comfort in a world of joy, a permanent inheritance in the land. He promised we would be filled, receive mercy, that we would see God and be called the children of God (Matthew 5). John 6:1-21 reveals a theology of abundance as God provides food when the cupboard is bare and we need to feed a small army. He provides buoyancy when sinking seems inevitable. Though our physical resources are small, God can multiply them. Though our physical abilities would not normally allow us to walk on water, with God’s help we can.

God Provides even Sexually

In this week’s Gospel lesson is an example of how God provides (Mark 6:1-21). Of course we usually think that applies to food, but it also applies to other aspects of our lives. David did not trust God to provide for him sexually and so took a woman who was not his right to have (2 Samuel 11:1-15). Throughout life we will all be tempted just like David was, but the consequences of giving in to that temptation, of not trusting God to provide, are destruction of our own lives. That is why it is so important to be reminded by the Lord’s Prayer to pray constantly not to be led into temptation. God will provide, even what we need in our hearts (Ephesians 3:14-21) “to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine”.