They asked Jesus, “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” (John 6:28-29).

Let’s face it: all of us find it hard to believe some of the time, and some of us find it hard to believe most of the time.

We tend to misunderstand what it means “to believe.”  We picture “believing” as an always securely serene and trustingly untroubled state of mind, free from questioning, doubt or anxiety of any kind. Obedience comes naturally, without struggle or hesitation. Such belief is the achievement of spiritual superheroes, and we know ourselves well enough to know we’re not among that company.

The crowd that followed Jesus and been miraculously fed by him has now tracked him down back in Capernaum.  They still have “bread” on their minds, and Jesus tells them not to obsess over food that spoils but on food that endures to eternal life, “which,” Jesus adds, “the Son of Man will give you” (John 6:27).

They find this hard to believe.  There must be a catch, so they follow up: “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Food that gives eternal life must be very costly; God must require some form of payment, we must demonstrate that we are deserving of such food: what works will God require of us?

Please pay close attention to Jesus’ response: “This is the work of God,” he begins.  Belief is God’s work, not ours.  God works, and we receive that work as a gift.

Jesus wants his questioners to think it through: what “work” did you do to be fed more-than-enough in the middle of nowhere?  Uh, actually, we didn’t “do” anything, other than listen to you, Jesus.  And all you told us to “do” was to sit down … and then receive the bread you provided!  That bread was a total gift!

Exactly right, Jesus says.  And that bread was a picture of the true bread I will give you, the bread that leads to eternal life.  It’s all the work of God, front to back, start to finish: God’s work is to give what you need; your “work” is to “sit down,” to quit your striving, toiling and laboring to earn anything from God, and just receive.

Are you hungry to believe God, even if you’re not at all sure about “all this belief business,” even though you often find it hard, even impossible?  See that small, puny hunger in you: that’s the gift of God for you, that tiny hunger to believe is in you because God put it there.  Your body is designed to need food every day – and the fact that you’re hungry also shows you that there is something “out there” that will meet that hunger.  Your hunger to believe, small and weak as it may seem, works in a similar way: you really are hungry for “true bread” that “endures to eternal life.”

What is the work of God?  To create and shape you as one who hungers, for ordinary bread and for true bread.

How does the bread of believing come to you?  You sit down.  You ask God for the gifts he has already prepared for you.  You receive what he gives.  Whether it strikes you as a lot or a little, receive what God gives.

What happens when you receive from God?  You become hungry for more of God.

Where is it currently hard for you to “believe God”?  As you think about this specific situation, what are you hungry for from God?  Go ahead, ask God for that!  And receive what he gives: receive the gift in whatever ‘amount’ or ‘form’ he gives, on whatever schedule he chooses.  Ask … and receive, ask … and receive, ask … and receive.

If you’d like to read or re-read the overview/summary of this week’s passage, you can find it here.