Nonperishable Food

[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.] The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat, but only his disciples had left. Other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread when the Lord gave thanks. 

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 

Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” 

So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent. (John 6:22-29)

What feeds our souls?  What are we always looking for?   What is so precious that we feel we have eternal life when we find it?  What do we need to accomplish the works of God?   Many of us might say “Jesus,” and that’s a good answer.   However, a better one would be “love.”  After all God is love, and we encounter the divine when we find someone to love – and they love us back.   That’s worth crossing the sea to find, like where the crowd found Jesus.

Many of us don’t find love despite our looking for signs of affection from others.  That’s the tragedy.  Advice: keep looking, and it will be found.

Love is the food that endures for eternal life.  The Son of Man does give it to us, but for most of us we’d like something a bit more physical – a special kiss and something more.

Deacon David Pierce