Spiritual Junk Food

John 6:24-35

In our previous two Gospel readings from Mark’s account we saw how Jesus fed the multitude with the five loaves of bread and two fish, and then walked on water to reach the disciples in the middle of the Sea of Galilee.  After they landed on the shore, the crowds came seeking Jesus again, which is where our passage in John’s Gospel picks up today.

The crowds, seeing Jesus, asked Him as to when He arrived.  Jesus knew the real reason they were seeking Him, as He knows what is in everyone’s heart (John 2:23-25).  He knew that many of the people were coming to Him because of the recent miracle of the multiplied loaves and fishes.  They were seeking Him for physical and temporal benefits, not to satisfy any spiritual hunger (vs 26). They were motivated by superficial, worldly desires, not the spiritual message Jesus had to give.

What is the world seeking after?  There is an emptiness in people, and they are seeking to fill it.  Many try to fill it with entertainment and the latest technological gadgets.  Others try to fill it with alcohol, drugs, and sex. Some will try to satisfy this empty void with various philosophies, the latest New Age gurus, and other false religions. Only Jesus has the truth, and only His way is the way to live (John 14:6).

These crowds were spiritually blind.  The feeding of the multitude and other miracles wasn’t enough.  They wanted their physical desires satisfied, and in this instance they wanted constant feeding like Moses brought with the manna (vs 30-34).  People must eat bread or food to satisfy hunger and live. Likewise we satisfy spiritual hunger and sustain spiritual life only by a right relationship with Jesus Christ.

When we are physically hungry, we can choose to eat good healthy food, or eat junk food.  The junk food may temporarily satisfy us, but ultimately leaves us empty and without any nutritional benefit.  It can also lead to sickness and poor health. Good and healthy food is just that, good and healthy. False religions and philosophies are like that junk food.  They may temporarily satisfy one’s spiritual hunger, but in the end they cannot bring true spiritual truth, and ultimately lead to eternal death. Jesus is the true bread who gives spiritual and eternal life to the world (vs 35).  We must invite Jesus into our life to spiritually live and gain eternal life.

The false religions and philosophies of the world are all based on works.  Their pathway to heaven and salvation is by doing something, a “works-based” salvation.  These people who came to Jesus that day were thinking this way (vs 28).  They wanted to know what they could do.  Jesus gave the only answer - believe on Him whom God has sent (vs 29).  The only work God wants or accepts is faith and trust in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God.  The only way to obtain salvation and to get to heaven, is to believe that Jesus is God’s Son, who came to pay the price for our sins, and to accept Him as your Savior.  We must accept that Jesus is who He says He is.

Are you feeding on the true Bread, Jesus Christ, or are you going after the world’s junk food, the latest guru and his false philosophies?  You may not think those beliefs so bad at first, but just as a steady diet of junk food will eventually make one ill, these false religions will lead to spiritual death.  Come to the true Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.