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John 6:35:
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
There’s a television commercial that I really love. It’s for Snickers. In each episode, it shows an unknown personality acting totally inappropriate, until someone realizes they are not acting like themselves because they’re hungry. And sure enough, when they hand them a Snickers they not only return to normal, but we get to see who they really are. And generally, it’s a popular personality that you’d never imagine acting out of character. As a commercial...simply brilliant. But as a healthy and sustainable source of food, I’m not so sure.
I cannot deny that Snickers has satisfying properties that can calm us down when we’ve gone too long without food. And while they might not be healthy, there’s something about nougats, peanuts, caramel, and chocolate that can temporarily hit the spot. And even for those of us that don’t like Snickers, the commercial works because we all understand being irritable and agitated when we’re hungry. Like the commercial says, ‘we are just not ourselves, when we’re hungry’. But what about our souls? What do we feed our souls when they are hungry? Certainly not a Snickers.
Our verse of scripture today quotes Jesus making a bold and bodacious statement to members of the multitude he had recently miraculously provided fish and bread to. They tracked him down hoping to get more food and more miracles. But Jesus stopped them in their tracks by challenging their motives. Were they only looking for food for their bodies, or were they open for food for their souls?
May I digress one second, please? I contend that although God is One, he is expressed as a triune deity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Totally One. Yet working in perfect harmony with the other. And man, being made in his image and likeness is also expressed as a triune being: body, soul, and spirit. But because of the introduction of sin and rebellion, there’s a war between our body and soul for control of our spirit (our heart and mind). So, although our spirit is always looking for the same thing for both soul and body, the path to satisfaction is totally opposite. In other words, while deep within us, we all want, peace, joy, love, affection, and contentment, flesh is fulfilled one way, and our souls a completely different way. And the two will never agree.
So as we look at the offering of Christ this morning, we must note that he comes offering food for our souls and not our bodies. Our bodies hunger to party and have a good time, while our souls want to worship and praise God. Our bodies want to be filled with food and drink, while our souls long to fast and to pray. And as we yield to the desires of the flesh, our souls starve and hunger for more Jesus. And just like our bodies, we are not our best spiritual selves when we’re hungry.
Wonder why you can’t stop sinning? Can’t control your appetite for carnality? Can’t seem to get victory over those things in your life that you know God is not pleased with? You’re not your strong spiritual self? It’s because you’re hungry. Your soul longs for the one and only thing that can satisfy it. Jesus satisfies. And Jesus alone.
Dear Child of God, truth is, you can’t have both. Either your flesh is full or your soul. The irony is that while both desire the same fundamental graces, their pathways are polar opposites. The pathway to carnal fulfillment is material. The pathway to your soul’s fulfillment is spiritual. Your flesh wants cars, money, houses, wealth, and fame. Your soul hungers for none of that. Your soul wants one thing, and one thing only. Your soul wants Jesus; because Jesus satisfies.
God Bless!
