"You are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves."
John 6:25

Jesus had performed the miracle of feeding 5,000 men (this does not include women and/or children) with 5 barley loaves and 2 fish. Quite a feat, wouldn't you say? Not only did he feed that mass of people, he also told the disciples, after everyone "had eaten their fill", to gather up what was left over--they ended up with twelve baskets full of extra bread. Pretty breathtaking, huh? Well Jesus goes off by himself afterwards. While he is doing that, the disciples decide to cross the sea. So they set sail. Then Jesus shows up walking on the water. They end up getting to the other side of the sea at Capernaum. The crowd follows him over there, and then Jesus says "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves."

How crazy is that?? These people were fed with the 5 loaves and 2 fish! And they knew they were; they were not ignorant to the fact that Jesus fed them all with that little amount. We know this because verse 14 says "when the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, 'This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!'" They recognized the miracle, the sign that Jesus performed. Yet Jesus says they were following for other reasons. That reason is absolutely ridiculous: they were following him just because he met one of their physical needs. They were so consumed with their needs, with their desires, with their physical hunger, that they totally overlooked the miracle and the miracle Worker that provided for that need.

What's your need? Money? Popularity? A boyfriend? A girlfriend? Friends in general? Better grades? Something interesting to note is that the people didn't show up to Jesus so that he'd give them a meal; verse 2 says "a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick." They came to him because they recognized his power and awesomeness, but, once they had one of their needs met, that's the only reason they could see to continue following him.

Perhaps you came to see Christ with pure intentions, wanting to see more about this God you've heard of, but, as a result of being in his presence, a need of yours was met and now that's what your only focus is. Jesus may be to you nothing more than a buffet of blessings; if you want some new toys you can get a helping of them; if you need to make the cut for sports tryouts you get a scoop of that from the "Jesus buffet." He is no buffet. He tells the people in verse 35, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger..."

He will not be your buffet. But he will satisfy you as the bread of life.