To explain what I mean, I have to give the context for the question and Jesus’ response.
The previous day those asking the question had been recipients of a great miracle. Jesus had fed more than 5,000 of them.
After they had eaten, they said to each other, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” And then they started moving toward Jesus, to take him by force and make him king. (Jn. 6:14-15) Jesus got away from them and went alone to a mountain while his disciples climbed in a boat to head to the other side of the Sea of Tiberius. Jesus later joined them by walking to them on the water and getting them to the other side. The next day the people pursued Jesus and found him there on the other side of the sea.
They couldn’t figure out how he got there and asked Jesus about it. After all, he hadn’t been in the boat with the disciples when they first departed from the other side the previous evening. Jesus didn’t answer their question but responded to something else that was at the core of why they pursued him. And the response applies to some today who ask what to do in business to do the works of God.
He says, “You are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs 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.” (Jn. 6:26-27 NIV)
Jesus knew their heart motive wasn’t right. After Jesus had fed them, they wanted to make him King. Why? Because they hoped to get daily manna from this Prophet in the same way God had supplied daily food to the Israelites in the wilderness. Wouldn’t it be great to have this Prophet supply our food every day, they must have thought. Let’s make him King. We’ll work for him in some ways, but we won’t ever have to worry about getting enough to eat. We’ll get our manna every day.
At the core of anything we do as Christians is the motive. For those who wanted to make Jesus the king, the motive was daily food. Some Christians who want to do the works of God are also unclear about their motives. Some misplaced (and often unconscious) motives include:
• Having a works mentality. We’re Christians. We have to work for Jesus. We prove our love by our works.
• Paying him back for what he has done for us.
• Wanting recognition. Some Christians have not been recognized in the church or by fellow Christians. Having a prosperous business where they can spend money for worthwhile causes could help them be recognized.
• Thinking our worth is measured by how much we do for Jesus. Some Christians seem to want to prove themselves to Jesus. Being successful in business would somehow increase their self worth.
• Getting a payback. We do these things for Jesus. And as a result he will bless us.
The crowd was following Jesus based on the wrong motives, and they finally ask, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answers the question. And the answer to them applies to us equally as much. He says, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
The whole focus is to have life in Jesus, not what work to do for him or because of him. Jesus continues to explain to them that he is the bread of life. And those who come to him will never hunger and thirst again. And he says that this belief is more powerful than the temporary manna that will feed them for a day at a time. The result will be eternal life.
Jesus continues his explanation, revealing that he will give his own life for the world. (Read John 6. It is a powerful chapter!) The focus is on who he is and what he alone could do to give us eternal life. And he doesn’t ask for anything in return. As a matter of fact, we’re incapable of doing anything to pay him back.
I find it ironic that the chapter concludes by saying that many disciples stopped following Jesus because of what he said. They were living with the wrong internal motives. They were looking for the wrong things with their religious eyes. They would even do the work of God rather than be transformed by a relationship leading them to eternal life. They wouldn’t fully partake of Jesus himself, accepting his flesh and his blood as the only source of continuing life.
John Boneck is the Director of the Kingdom Business Association. He is a business coach and has served in management in a $100M division of a corporation.
