The Crowd Pursued Jesus
TRANSLATION
(16) When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, (17) got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. (18) A strong wind was blowing, and the sea became rough. (19) After they had rowed three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea, and they were frightened. (20) But he said to them, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (21) Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore to which they were heading.
(22) The next day, the crowd that stayed on the other side of the sea realized that there had only been one boat there and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples but that his disciples had gone away alone. (23) Other boats from Tiberias had come to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. (24) So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
(25) When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” (26) Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you that you seek me not because of the sign you saw me perform but because you ate your fill of the loaves. (27) Do not work for food that spoils but for the food which endures to eternal life which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God, the Father, has placed his seal of approval.”
OBSERVATIONS
In this segment immediately following the miracle of Jesus feeding the multitude, we read about the disciples witnessing another display of his divine power and then his having to deal with those who were following him because they wanted more free food. Repetitions included “disciples” four times (vss. 16, 22, & 24), “sea” mentioned six times (vss. 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, & 25), eight occurrences of “boat” (vss. 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, & 24), “frightened” paired with “afraid” (vss. 19 & 20), and two uses of “food” (vs. 27). The issue of the crowd’s motivation for following Jesus lay at the heart of this segment.
OUTLINE
I. Jesus walked on the water to meet the disciples who had gone on ahead in the boat. (16-21)
II. The crowd pursued Jesus, looking for more food, and received his exhortation instead. (22-27)
IDEA STATEMENT
Our motive for following Jesus should be more because of who he is rather than for any benefits we might receive.
APPLICATION
The term “mixed motives” often describes why we do what we do. Rarely are the reasons for our actions completely pure or altruistic. So often we have to admit that we are driven more by selfishness when it comes to obeying Jesus than by our love for him. We give not just to help others but for the personal satisfaction it brings us. We follow Christ not just to glorify him but also to avoid the consequences of rebellion and to ensure our own peace of mind.
Jesus admonished the crowds in Galilee that were pursuing him because they were looking for more free food. His warning is something we should constantly take to heart. First, he gave them the negative, “Do not work for the food that perishes…” Then he balanced this with the positive, “…but for the food that endures to eternal life which the Son of Man will give you.” Without becoming morbidly self-absorbed, we constantly need to evaluate the reasons why we do what we do. While our motives may never be completely pure, we should in our devotion to Jesus be prompted more by our love for him and by our desire to glorify him than by any of the benefits he may graciously choose to give us along the way.