Jesus answered, "You’ve come looking for me not because you saw God in my actions but because I fed you, filled your stomachs—and for free. John 6:26 (TM)
This verse made me think about the church today. The crowds followed because Jesus fed their hunger – which was their pressing need. Hunger isn’t the need for most of us in America. What is our need? What makes the crowds gather at the megachurches which our culture has deemed the ‘successful’ churches?
Could it perhaps be that we’re feeding people’s hunger for entertainment? for comfort? for ease? Could we be feeding the hunger of pride – wanting to be seen in the right places with the right people? Are we catering to the right hunger?
When Jesus started talking about people’s real spiritual hunger and need – the crowds walked away.
Is the church today willing to risk that?
I’m just asking.
8-9One of the disciples—it was Andrew, brother to Simon Peter—said, “There’s a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But that’s a drop in the bucket for a crowd like this.”
Was Andrew just talking to have input and hear himself, or did he believe that Jesus could make it work? I don’t know, but it made me question my belief this morning. Do I believe that God can take a little youth group fund-raiser and make it amazing? Do I believe that God can take broken people and make an amazing church community? Sometimes I do…..but many times I lack faith.