When Desire For A Miracle Keeps Us From Knowing The Miracle

These two verses will seem cryptic without a bit of context.

Jesus has just provided food supernaturally for 5000 people. Next, he appears in Capernaum after walking on water and instantly appearing on the other side with his disciples. And the crowd of 5000 is chasing him down. After they find him, Jesus confronts them about their motivation for following him. Then comes the question they pose in this text.

Then [the 5000] said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” — John 6:28-29

This is pretty descriptive of initial belief in Jesus. Some people come to Jesus for externally attractive reasons. It may be because of a captivating teaching, a provision of something, the attractiveness of community, or a need for personal connection. And there is nothing wrong with this. The church and Jesus should be attractive. But at some point, we must learn that these attractions are only secondary at best.

That's what Jesus is trying to get the 5000 to understand. He wants them to transfer their attention from the miracle and the messenger to the miracle worker, who is God. He wants to ensure their belief is anchored in the right thing. And the right thing is not his miraculous works.

So let's apply this teaching to our time. I believe God still does miraculous work like this. He never ceases to do miraculous works. God can break into time and space anytime he wants and do anything he wants. And we can ask him to do these works. Sometimes he will. But we should never allow our desire for his works to become the focus of our attention. This would be spiritually immature. As we see, his miraculous works can be a distraction from the God who works them. But Jesus reminds us that we can experience miraculous works every moment of every day. Believing in Jesus is our miraculous work. That's because believing in Jesus is the fountain for every miracle in the believer's life.

Turn your attention from every secondary matter and believe in him.

ASK THIS: Are there secondary matters keeping you from believing only in Jesus?

DO THIS: Sacrifice those second attractions (share them below)

PRAY THIS: God, some attractive things have kept me from you. I bring those things to you. I want only you.

PLAY THIS: I Need A Miracle.