Seeking Christ: Nourshment of the soul

26 Jesus answered them and said, “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.

We all have different motivations in our relationship with Christ.

trouble and desires for the things of this world bring us to our knees...

Not all desires are bad

job, residency, program, school, spouse, children, home

But all have the potential to be idols.

There is a blessing in pursuing God for the things of this world as mentioned above.

The blessing is that is does bring us to God

ex. PT (Martin)…doing 5 sit ups is better than no sit ups....Regardless of form or effectiveness...its not the end point but a beginning.

New Testament IVa: John 1–10 Satisfying the Flesh instead of the Spirit

AUGUSTINE: It is as if he said, “You seek me to satisfy the flesh, not the Spirit.” How many seek Jesus for no other objective than to get some kind of temporal benefit! One has a business that has run into problems, and he seeks the intercession of the clergy; another is oppressed by someone more powerful than himself, and he flies to the church. Another desires intervention with someone over whom he has little influence. One person wants this, and another person wants that. The church is filled with these kinds of people!

Its better for the church to be filled, than empty because the very presence of individual in the church seeking God, present an opportunity for something deeper to develop.

God cares for our temporal concerns and worries, if He didn’t there would be a disconnect between us and Him. We would struggle to see the significance of God in our lives.

Temporal needs are needs that only exist for the time we are alive.

Eternal needs transcend this time of this world.

His care for the temporal is a stepping stone for us to see that our real need of Him is eternal in nature.

Since God is the only being that is eternal, it is the person of God that we ultimately need.

New Testament IVa: John 1–10 Temporal Food Should Lead to Eternal Food

CHRYSOSTOM: I fed your bodies, he says, so that after this you might seek that other food that endures, which nourishes the soul. But you run right back to that food that is temporal. Therefore you do not understand that I lead you not to this imperfect food but to that which nourishes not the body but the soul. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 44.1.7

its not in our doing with or for god, but its through our ‘being’ with God that we receive a deep nourishment.

Anthony bloom in his book ‘beginning to pray’

old lady and knitting…the presence of God came in

Being still

being quiet

being prayerful

New Testament IVa: John 1–10 Satisfying the Flesh instead of the Spirit

Jesus is scarcely sought after for his own sake.… Here too he says, you seek me for something else; seek me for my own sake. He insinuates the truth that he himself is that food … “that endures to eternal life.” TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 25.10.4

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