God created us to create. However, sin turned creating into work. After sin, humanity no longer created for the joy of it. We now had to create, produce and labor just to survive. Each day became a struggle to earn our daily bread. We no longer lived in a garden full of plenty; we now lived in a harsh world where we had to struggle just to make ends meet.

When the crowd saw Jesus feed them, they were filled with hope that He might make the daily struggle easier. That in and of itself was not a bad hope, but that hope was not enough to repair their relationship with God. God did not want them to follow Jesus just for the earthly rewards. Jesus might have promised that following Him would give them earthly food, but he did not.

Instead, He told them that they were working for the wrong things. He didn’t mean that they needn’t eat, rather, He meant that their priorities were so focused on earthly matters that they could not see the heavenly gift that He was bringing. He was bringing them an opportunity to be reconciled with God the Father and to receive the bread of life.

The crowd was used to working for their bread, so they asked what work they would have to do for the bread from heaven. Jesus told them that it was not work they needed, but faith.

The crowd didn’t trust Jesus enough to believe. They asked for a greater sign. Feeding the multitude an earthly meal was a miraculous sign, but they reminded Jesus that Moses had fed the Israelites for over 40 years in the desert. One meal did not compare to 40 years of daily nourishment. Jesus pointed out that it was not Moses that fed them, but rather it was a gift of God; the same God who had sent Jesus.

Reconciling faith means believing without demanding Jesus perform a sign so great it overwhelms our freewill.