Blessing versus Blesser
4 min read
26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
John 6:26-27
This whole conversation between Jesus and the crowd reminds me of two other conversations Jesus had. One was between Jesus and the devil. Because when then started talking about the manna from heaven, Jesus might have said the same thing He had told the devil, who dared Jesus to turn stones into bread: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
The other conversation was between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Just as when Jesus talked about Living Water with the woman, when He referred to the bread from heaven with the crowd, they said, “Sir, always give us this bread,” not understanding that He is the Bread of Life. But whereas the woman received Jesus’s testimony, the crowds rejected it.
The crowds were looking for Jesus not because He is the true source of life. Jesus said, “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day” (verse 40). That truth did not matter to them. They were looking for Jesus only to gain worldly blessings (verses 26-27).
There is a huge difference between seeking God for His blessings and seeking God. Seeking God for His blessings guarantees that we will not receive the true blessings of God. On the other hand, seeking God guarantees that we will receive true blessings from God.
So where am I? Am I seeking God for His blessings or seeking God for Himself?
Father, I confess that I do seek Your for blessings. Most of the time, I can’t really tell if I am seeking His blessings or seeking God Himself. I pray that You would help me embrace the gospel message of Your love, mercy, and grace, and would that simple gospel transform me to seek You always, and You alone. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
