MOTIVES

But when Jesus perceived their THOUGHTS, He answered and said to them, “Why are you REASONING in your hearts?” – Luke 5:22

The MOTIVES or thoughts behind Questions are as important as the questions. In our meditation text, some people posed questions to Jesus. First, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” (Jh.6:25b). After the miracle of feeding thousands with five loaves and two fishes, Jesus withdrew quietly into the hills and, while the crowd slept, He crossed the lake. They eventually tracked Him down, and then came the question. His response sounded sarcastic: “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life” (vv.26-27a). In other words, “You folk are only here for another feed. You’re here because you ate your fill!” Jesus queried the motive of their question and the sincerity of their seeking.

They were either looking for another free lunch or to see another spectacle: “it seems that you’re just here for the show!’ And He wasn’t interested in performing or entertaining! His response appeared to be quite harsh to what seemed like a rather innocent question, but the questioner’s stance was important. The answers we get will depend on the questions we ask. The problem is that we often ask the wrong questions because we come for the wrong reasons. Why do you come to Jesus?

The second question suggests that some people do come to Jesus in quest of wisdom and instructions to live by: “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” (v.28). His answer: “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent” (v.29). They seemed to have a nobler agenda and deeper motive for following Jesus: to know how they ought to live their lives; what principles to follow in order to please God. Although modernity brings enormous freedom of choice, there is something in the human being that longs for rules; that wants to be told what to be doing. Two reasons for the increasing popularity of religions in our world today are: a plausible contempt for the corruption of Western civilisation; and the offer of a very straightforward set of rules to live by. Religions tell their adherents exactly how they ought to live! For example, Judaism, which was the religion Jesus’ disciples were familiar with, has legion of rules and regulations!

Notably, when the crowd asked Jesus what they must do to perform the works of God, He refused to dictate to any of them specific rules, beyond telling them to believe in Him! There is nothing wrong, in itself, with asking Jesus how He would have us do His work, but if where you are coming from in asking that question is that you are looking for a set of laws to live by, then it is not the right question, for that is not what Jesus He came to give. That is not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ! He came to give us neither a free feed nor a set of rules. He came to give us Himself: "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst” (v.35). This distinguishes Jesus from any number of other religious teachers, and the Christian faith from other religious systems.

The Christian life is not lived according to a new set of laws but in mystical union with Jesus, where He enters into us by His Spirit and becomes our food and drink, so that He might live His life through us. Your relationship with Jesus should not be dominated by your own set of questions: ‘how do I become successful?’ or ’where do I find happiness?’! Your perception of Jesus must not be twisted around your own agenda. What you see in life depends on what you are looking at. What you hear depends on who you listen to. And the answers you receive depend on the questions you ask! Are you asking rightly?