Now or Forever

John 6:66-69 - After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

It is very easy to focus on now. When we want something, we want it now. Our desires are immediate, and when the choice is between satisfying an immediate desire and getting a much longer term benefit, too often the immediate wins. This is why dieting can be so tough. The long term goal of being in better shape has a tough battle against a delicious eclair sitting in front of us.

John 6 shows Jesus gaining then losing a huge crowd. Their initial interest in him was “because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.” (6:2) Perhaps some were bored and wanted to watch a show. Some likely were sincerely seeking the Messiah. Maybe many were sick or had sick relatives they wanted to see healed.

Whatever the reason for initially coming to see Jesus, his feeding of the five thousand spoke to their immediate physical desire and led many to focus there. Who does not enjoy a delicious free lunch? The crowds started to grow even more with the prospect of more free food to come. (6:26) Yet, when Jesus did not generate Free Meal #2 but instead started talking about the more important, longer term nutrition of eternal life that comes from believing in Jesus, most of them turned away. They were not willing to stop looking at the now to gain the forever.

The good news is that not everyone felt that way. When Jesus asked his twelve closest followers if they wanted to leave, too, Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.” They knew what mattered most, and they kept their focus on the long term because they understood Jesus was (and is) the only Holy One of God who can bring eternal life.

May we never make the mistake of trading a lot of forever for a quickly passing now.

Keep the Long Term Focus

John 6:26-27 - Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

Have you ever received word of a giveaway of a product you really wanted? Did you make it a priority to drop what you were doing to run to the store and grab one before they ran out? That was the case for a huge crowd of Galilean Jews. Five thousand of them had been fortunate enough to eat a free meal Jesus had given them. Even though that meal was in a remote spot, word quickly got to Tiberias, the biggest city in the region, and crowds of people hopped in boats to get to the place Jesus had fed the 5,000. (vs 23) They were hoping for another free lunch that they would be able to experience this time.

However, when they got there, Jesus was gone. Yet, the people were still anxious for the free meal, so they tracked Jesus down to the fishing village of Capernaum. (vs 24) They had not seen him walking on the water, so they asked him when he arrived. (vs 25) Jesus immediately knew what they were after. They wanted another meal, but Jesus urged them to get something that lasts longer, eternal life.

It can be so easy for us to focus on temporary things. Maybe it is your next meal. That will last you a few hours. Maybe it’s your next car. That can last you several years, but it will eventually break down. Even your next house won’t last forever.

The “stuff” of life that we see and touch can captivate all of our time and attention, but there will be a day for each of us when life as we know it now will cease. That is not the end. Jesus urges us, like he urged the hungry crowds, to seek the food he gives that lasts forever – eternal life. Like he said in verse 35, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” Come to Jesus. Believe in him. He is far more fulfilling than all the stuff of earth. Eternal life is worth your focus.