Jesus declared to them that they did not seek him from any worthy motive; that they did not desire to learn how to please God in their daily lives; but they asked him to work miracles, sometimes in a spirit of unbelief, and sometimes because they hoped to be benefited by temporal favors which he might thus bestow upon them. He bade them not to labor for the meat which perishes, but to seek for spiritual food, that wisdom which endures unto everlasting life. This the Son of God alone could give, for he has the seal of the Father. With solemn earnestness he sought to impress upon them that temporal favors are of little consequence compared with the heavenly grace offered by the Son of God. {2SP 275.2}

Jesus sagde til dem, at de ikke søgte ham af gode bevæggrunde. De ønskede ikke at lære, hvorledes de kunne behage Gud i deres daglige liv; men de forlangte, at han skulle gøre mirakler, undertiden i en vantro ånd, undertiden, fordi de håbede at vinde nogen timelig fordel derved, at han begunstigede dem. Han bød dem ikke at arbejde for den mad, som (276) forgår, men at søge åndelige næring, den visdom, som varer til et evigt liv. Denne kunne Guds Søn alene give; thi han havde Faderens segl. Med højtidelig alvor søgte han at indprente i deres sind, at timelig fordel er en af lille betydning i sammenligning med den himmelske nåde, som Guds Søn tilbød dem.