John 6:22-24

John 6:22-24 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  What's the first thing you remember craving?  I remember loving lasagna -- I couldn't get enough of it.  That's got to be conflicting for a parent -- it's good that your child likes your cooking, but it would be nice if they choose to like something a little easier to cook, like pancakes.  Once I had a little, I would just keep eating, and I'd want more.
  Here's the crowd, having been fed miraculously by Jesus.  They emerge the next day, craving more -- more of what, they're probably not sure.  They followed him to hear him teach, but having been miraculously fed, they likely want more of that, too.  They've been sustained, mind and body, and seek him out. 
  So Jesus cares about how we treat our minds and our bodies.  It's important to respect both.  Jesus provides for his followers' material needs, and he challenges them to think, too.  That's part of what I love about being a Christian -- it requires intellectual activity.  I don't mindlessly follow what some preacher says -- I think about it, and I can challenge it if I have an argument.  There's room for debate and intellectual rigor. 
  May we recognize all the ways God provides for us, spiritually, physically and mentally, and may we have the wisdom to continue to seek him.  The journey is rarely easy, but it is the most meaningful thing we can do in our lives -- seek the wise teacher, the selfless Savior, the King who reigns eternally.  A preacher I respect advised the listener to repent for a lack of love for Jesus.  It was an interesting phrase, and I think a wise one -- may we apologize for not loving Jesus fully, and may we seek him out, in all we do, that Christ may be above all else.