Solution or Relationship

John 6:26 & 27, “Jesus answered then and said, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”

This passage comes at a point where Jesus, after feeding the multitudes the fishes and loaves, crosses the sea to another town, and the crowds follow Him there. In essence they were there looking for another free meal. They wanted a solution to their hunger, or better yet a solution to their laziness. But Christ was saying it is not about the solution. It is about the relationship to Him.

He later says to their wanting bread, “I am the bread of Life.” (v. 35) And yet we… I keep looking for and wanting the solution. I want to skip the discovery of Jesus in some new light and jump to the money I need for the problem. I want to skip the time seeking to jump to the healing.

For those of us deep enough into this thing called Christianity we want the power for our prayers to be answered. But don’t want to spend the time getting to know The Answer. Why, why, why are we so selfish? We want authority over the situation so that life can be easier or more comfortable but we do not want the obedience.

Henri Nouwen says, “Authority and obedience can never be divided, with some people having all the authority while others only have to obey.  This separation causes authoritarian behaviour on the one side and doormat behaviour on the other.”

We have a delicate balance to learn. We have to somehow focus on the exalted Christ. To look with spiritual eyes on our Master and obey, and in the obedience experience the victory of His authority. To not look on Him and just take life as some uncontrollable happenstance is to be a slave. Yet to walk constantly trying to be the master of our own universe is to promote ourselves to God. It’s the mix where God’s will is found.

“I am the bread of Life” Christ says. If we will only realize that then in that revelation, in that realization our physical hunger will be satisfied. That satisfaction comes from seeking the spiritual Bread of Life, so that the physical bread is added.

I am desperate for the metaphorical physical bread. But to get it… to get to the best solution I must focus on The Bread of Life. In that focus (prayer), in that relationship, then and only then will I hear the command, that will lead to the obedience, that will solution which is Christ.

HELP ME FATHER! Help me to stop calling for the solution to come, and to call to Jesus who in the solution is already complete.