Monday of the Third Week of Easter
Work is a part of our lives. Everyone works- children do schoolwork, parents do house work, and adults have jobs outside of the home. So does God work? According to Jesus, He does. Jesus says, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” (John 6: 29) So our faith in Jesus is the work of God. The Father sends Jesus to bring His love, hope and salvation to the world, and the Father wants us to believe in Him. The Father works to help us believe in His Son, since this is the pathway to the forgiveness of our sins, and this is how we are brought back into relationship with God. God’s work has been occurring since the time of the fall of Adam and Eve, because God has always wanted to bring us back to Him. The work of God offers to all people the opportunity to believe. Our work is to say “yes” and to choose to follow Jesus. Our “yes” allows others to come to know Jesus and believe in HIm through our witness, and therefore we become a part of the “work of God”.
In the gospel reading, the crowds who are following Jesus are more focused on his mighty deeds (or works) than becoming believers. The large gathering had just been fed by Jesus and now they were trying to understand how he arrived in Capernaum without a boat. Jesus recognizes that they are more concerned about what they can get from Jesus and not seeing His miracles as reasons to believe. Jesus comments, “You are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” (John 6: 26) The people who were in the crowd had their eyes focused on the things of the world and not the things from above. Jesus reminds them not to “work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” (John 6:27) Even though Jesus tries to direct them towards faith in Him, the crowd persists in wanting to know how to “accomplish the works of God?” They are so interested in learning about the amazing works of Jesus that they lose sight of the one who performed these acts-Jesus- God himself. Jesus knows that HIs miracles, His life, and everything He does are “works of God” that help people to come to believe in Him and therefore believe in the Father who sent Him. The Father has “set His seal” on Jesus because Jesus is the Father’s perfect sign of love and redemption. From the fall of man until the end of the world all people are offered salvation through Jesus. The Father‘s love is brought to completion in Jesus life, death and resurrection, and so to bring all to believe in Jesus is the work that is the most important to the Father. This faith in Jesus brings unity and peace to all people, and allows every believer from every time and place to become one in and through Christ.
So as I reflect on this passage, I wonder if a strong faith in Jesus is the foundation for all that I say and do. Do I live my life in a way that others see my faith and come to know and believe in Jesus? If God’s work is focused on our belief in Jesus, then I recognize that it is because believing is essential in understanding God’s love and purpose for our lives. Without this faith we cannot grow closer to God and find His presence in our daily lives. Just like the crowd in the reading, our lives are filled with signs of God’s power. It is important that we do not become so focused on the signs, but recognize the source of all goodness and grace- God. As I look at my life, I realize that I cannot grow in my faith unless I allow God’s work to transform me. My daily struggles to believe in Jesus can only become a reality with God’s work in me through His Holy Spirit. It is this same Spirit that has been at work since the beginning of time inspiring the prophets of old and Jesus’ apostles. It is this same Spirit that must work in me to help me deepen my faith, so I can believe in Jesus and allow His truths to be the basis for my life. There are so many things that stand in the way of God’s work: my pride (it is hard to let someone else have control), my fear (what will happen if I do believe), my doubts (how do you believe in someone that you cannot see and hear like our human companions), my unworthiness (how could someone love me and want good for me when I don’t feel worthy of these gifts), and sinfulness (just when I feel like I am growing in my faith, I fall backwards and lose hope of ever being able to be completely receptive and renewed in His Spirit.) To say “yes” to God’s work in my life is a minute by minute activity that requires an awareness of God’s presence, His invitation to accept His work in me, and the humility to accept this gift and allow it to transform me. When I am able to allow God to work in me, over time my ability to say “yes” becomes easier and easier, since I am more convinced of His love, His forgiveness, and His desire to lead me where I will be the person He created. This slow process of becoming more faith-filled allows God’s work- His Spirit to fill me and use me to share Jesus and His offer of salvation with others. The more I allow God’s work in me, the better I am able to become a part of the “work of God” and share His kingdom with the world.
"Heavenly Father, throughout the history of man, you have been at work drawing your children back to you. Through your Son Jesus, You complete your work of salvation. May your Spirit fill our hearts, so that we may grow in our faith and believe in your Son, so we may become one with You. May our lives become instruments for your work in the world, so all people may believe. We pray this through Christ, our Lord. AMEN"
Marylynn Herchline