Now is a time when we are all frantically Christmas shopping. There is a lot of emphasis on gift giving.
When God gives you something, do you pay more attention to the gift or the giver?
In John chapter six, Jesus had just fed 5,000 people, meeting their physical need for food with a miraculous sign. The crowd's response was they wanted to force him to be their king. Why not? A king who could simply make food appear where there was none, that's a good trick!
Jesus withdraws from them. We pick up the story in verse 22.
"The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"
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. 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 6:22-26 (NIV emphasis mine)
Clearly they were only looking for their next meal. They ate the fish and bread, but had missed the point of the sign. A sign points to something, and this sign had pointed to Jesus himself. He was teaching them something about himself by meeting their physical need.
Let's continue.
Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
So they asked him, "What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" vv 28-31 (NIV)
Aren't we just like that? Jesus' last miracle wasn't enough for them, and often times it is not enough for us. That was yesterday Jesus, what will you do for me today? You want me to believe in you, what will you do for me now in exchange for my belief?
Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
"Sir," they said, "always give us this bread."
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." vv 32-35 (NIV)
The blessings in our life are always meant to teach us something about our Father in Heaven, to draw us into a closer relationship with Him.
Are you looking at the gifts or the giver today?
The lesson is clear, the giver is all we need.
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