After Jesus fed five thousand people with five small loaves of bread and two fish, the people wanted more. They waited until morning and then they followed Him across Lake Capernaeum. We would assume they were eager to seek God and wanted to hear more of His teaching—or that they were impressed by the miracles.
Jesus knew their hearts. He said, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. (Jn. 6:26b NIV)
Apparently, miracles do not persuade people to seek God or teach them to trust Him. In fact, almost all of Jesus’ contemporaries were aware of His ministry and the many miracles He performed, yet many did not believe in Him. Miracles even seemed to harden the hearts of the Pharisees and Saducees.
God meets physical needs, but He especially desires to fill spiritual needs because they are the foundation for life with Him. Jesus said, Do not work for food that spoils . . . The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent. (v. 27a,29)
Originally published August 9, 1985.
Picture: Tulips, Fargo, 2009. Photo by Solveig.
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