John 6:24-27 “Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, ‘Rabbi, when did you get here?’ Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, 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, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.’”

A day earlier, Jesus miraculously fed 5000 people with five small loaves of bread and a couple of fish. He wasted no time confronting the motives of those who went looking for him after he and his disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee and went to Capernaum. Did you notice how he threw their question away and went right after their motivations for looking for him? “When did you get here? Well, that isn’t a very interesting topic. It’s not even what they really care about. Let’s not waste time with small talk or chit chat. These people have a spiritual problem and it’s killing their souls.”

That spiritual problem was the worldly reasons they had for coming to Jesus: “You are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” The miracle should have been a spiritual wake up call. All of Jesus’ miracles should have been. They did more than bend the laws of nature. They delivered a message. “This man Jesus is someone worth paying attention to. We should be listening to him and believe what he is teaching. He is obviously more than just another slick salesman trying to get our business. His miracles tell us God the Father has places his seal of approval on him.”

But Jesus understood their real reason for tracking him down. “You ate the loaves and had your fill.” Free food! Think of what we could save on the grocery bill. Free medicine! Think of how healthy we could be, how good we could feel, having this guy around. Free climate control! Think of how much safer we could be having Jesus to put the brakes on dangerous storms around here.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to eat, or having health care, or wanting you and your family to be safe. But Jesus did not come to establish the world’s most successful farm or fairly-priced grocery store chain. He founded no hospitals or clinics, nor did he even visit one himself, so far as we know. After settling down two storms on the Sea of Galilee he never shared with anyone the secret to his meteorological genius. Years later his star missionary Paul reported that he had suffered shipwreck three times.

A not-so-small industry wants to promote Jesus as the secret to a better life now, a higher standard of living, a virtual utopia of ways to improve our lives in this world. That is not merely misinterpreting the man. It is the sin of worldliness, and it threatens to blind us to his real purpose. “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life.”

Jesus has come to rescue us from life in this world, not to improve it, not to attach us to it more firmly. He came to bring us the grace and mercy of God that guarantees a better life to come. His goal is to get us out of here. His words to this crowd confront our worldly reasons for coming to him.