May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread." Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:24-35)

In Christ's name and to his glory, dear Friends: At the risk of copying Daimler-Chrysler's current ad campaign, we have as our central thought today DIFFERENT. I think that you would agree with me that parents often want something different, better for their children than what they had growing up. If Dad worked with his back most of his life, perhaps he would say: Son, pursue a career that will not wear down your body so. If mom and dad dug themselves a deep hole of debt when they were young, perhaps they will say: Children, do not neglect good budgeting. Part of our wanting something different, better, for our children is evidence of our sin. Rarely are sinful people satisfied. God must gift us with contentment. Improvement is not in and of itself wrong, but wanting more and better is not always without sin. Part of our wanting something different, better, for our children is evidence of repentance. We know we have made sinful mistakes in our youth and we hope to help our children avoid the same mistakes.

Today we see our Savior shepherding his sheep, and he wants something different, better, for those he loves. His desire for different and better is neither discontentment nor repentance. He had none of the first and did not need the second. He has solely the honor of his Father and the good of his sheep in mind. Let's listen, each of us. For each of us is one of the children that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, loves. He wants something different, better, for you and me. Let's also listen because the Good Shepherd calls us to be his under-shepherds, to help lead his lambs into his arms. As Jesus shepherds us, he at the same time will be equipping us to be his effective under-shepherds.

Jesus gives us different blessings than those that sinful man desires. When we catch up to Jesus today he is on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, near his ministry headquarters in Capernaum. The day before Jesus fed the 5000 with five small barley loaves and two fish. After that miracle, you may remember, the people wanted to make Jesus "king by force." (John 6:15) They knew Jesus was different, but the difference they thought it would mean for them was that he could give them all the earthly wealth, power and goods they could ever want. Jesus took himself off the scene immediately. He wanted to give them something different, better than what their sinful hearts wanted. Jesus put his disciples on a boat heading across the lake to Capernaum, and Jesus disappeared into the surrounding hills. It seems that many spent the night there hoping to see Jesus in the morning. But during the night Jesus walked across the lake to help his disciples struggling against the storm and took them miraculously and safely to Capernaum. So the next day the people wake up, look for Jesus, and then walk around the lake to Capernaum.

When they find Jesus, the people ask a question: Rabbi, when did you get here? Perhaps they sensed another miracle had happened, and they had missed it. Wanting to stop all this longing for miracles and fascination with what they could see with their eyes, Jesus does more than answer the question. He starts leading the people to something different than what their sinful hearts wanted. "I tell you the truth...you are looking for me...because you ate the loaves and had your fill...don't work for food that spoils." He is honest with the people even though he knows it may hurt feelings. All you want is food without working for it. Jesus even uses the word for animal feed when mentioning the loaves. Your acting like dumb animals instead of people created with an eternal soul designed to be in the image of God. You have your eyes on food that spoils, on earthly things. These don't last. It's only for this life; and you need food that will nourish you for eternity. I could give you more of what you want, but it's not what you need. Then Jesus starts giving them something different, better-Work...for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his sign of approval. Jesus himself was and is the Bread of Life. Here is food for the soul, not the stomach. He is food that will not spoil-it lasts into eternity. He is food that actually gives life-life eternal in heaven. Jesus gives the world himself, different and better than those things that sinful man wants.

Jesus calls you and me to be different. With his admonition: Work for food that endures, Jesus was calling on those people to stop being like the sinful world, to be different. His eternal Word still calls us today. Work for food that endures-Be different! Now that Jesus has come to you, don't run with the world that does not know him. Think of what you need, not just what your sinful nature wants. "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" Jesus asks us. (Mark 8:36) You need more than just food for the stomach; you need Jesus, his forgiveness, eternal spiritual blessings. Work for that food.

Now, don't get the idea that we can do anything good and spiritual to get ourselves into God's favor because Jesus tells us to "work". Notice that Jesus "gives" us this food. (v.27) We are guests when we come into the presence of God. He gives, we receive. The world never gets that. Even when it pursues God, it pursues him with silly worldly ideas-we will get better and then God will accept us. Notice, the people ask: What must we do to do the works of God? As if being godly was a matter of obeying a set of rules. Jesus is different. The work (singular) is to believe in the one he has sent. Jesus calls us to be different and pursue him by listening. Faith comes from hearing the message (Romans 10:17). This is how you work to be different-you make the most of every opportunity to listen to the Word. Be different-attend worship, listen. Be different-go to Sunday School and Bible class. Be different-read a devotion with your children before they go to bed. Be different-read the Bible at home. As you do Jesus will be making you different. He will make you see your sin and repent of them. He will nourish you with repeated assurance that you are the child of God through his atoning sacrifice for sin. He will give you wisdom and faith to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). All this will make you different and in tune with your Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. Recommit yourselves today to be different, since Jesus gives us the different and better blessing of himself.