“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.’”  John 6: 26

I’ll confess, I may have missed out on an amazing deal…to extend the warranty on my car.  The twenty-seven voicemails I received over the course of a few months made it clear that this was my last chance and if I didn’t reply immediately, I would lose that opportunity.  What would have happened had I hit “1” for more information?

When the crowds of people hear about Jesus and see the miracles He’s performing, you can imagine them thinking, “This is too good to be true.”  Unfortunately, they misunderstand what Jesus is offering. They are focused on how Jesus can meet their physical needs and are willing to do whatever work it takes to get more from Him. However, Jesus deftly redirects them, pointing out that they’re after an earthly solution for their worldly needs, not the one Jesus is offering.  

Jesus lays it out straight for the crowd saying, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”  Jesus is telling the crowd that the work is believing, and from there comes the blessings.  We saw how when the people sat down, with Jesus at the center, they were fed.  We saw how when the disciples invited Jesus into their boat, the seas calmed, and they arrived safely to shore.  

Answering the call from Jesus isn’t like signing up for an extended warranty on our earthly desires.  We’re signing up to believe in Jesus.  This belief means we’re accepting Jesus on his terms, and choosing to do it His way, instead of our own.  This doesn’t mean that life will be perfect, but it does give us a path to receive nourishment, find calm in the storms, and direction in our lives. 

We work to believe in Jesus when we are in prayer, at Church, or with our small group.  But we must also work to believe in Jesus in our secular lives: at work, at school, in our communities, in everything we do.  Martin Luther said, “The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.”  When our belief permeates everything we do, we are doing God’s work in this world.

Jesus is calling, but it’s not about an extended warranty on earthly desires. Where are you answering God’s call and the work of believing is shining through?  Are there areas where that call may be going to your voicemail, for you to check later?  How does the work of God (believing in Jesus) become something that’s always on in your life?

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