“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”” John 6:27 NKJV
Reflection: why do we have to labor for the everlasting food?
Since 1894, “Labor Day” has been celebrated in the United States as a recognition of the Labor movement for workers’ rights. Much of the rest of the world celebrates Labor Day on May 1; same idea but with a slightly different origin. I imagine most of us have a pretty good idea of what “Labor” means, as most have had to work to “put food on the table”, as we commonly say. We understand from a young age that, if you want something in life, you cannot just sit and wait for it. You have to work for it, even for the smallest things. If you want a glass of water, you have to get up, find a glass, find a source of water, and then fill the glass with water. The more and bigger things you want, the more you have to work for it. And, as humans, in general we like to work for things. It feels like an accomplishment to be able to purchase something you worked hard for.
Let’s look briefly at the basic definition of labor. According to Webster’s dictionary, we see that labor is defined as “expenditure of physical or mental effort especially whendifficult or compulsory”. Notice the recognition both physical and mental effort as labor. In fact, mental effort can be quite exhausting; at times even more than physical effort. In our verse today, Jesus also teaches about labor. About effort. Let’s read it again “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”” John 6:27 NKJV. At first glance, this is a strange lesson. In fact, it might be one of the biggest stumbling blocks for man in all of scripture. Whole religions have been built around the idea of “salvation by works”. That somehow we can earn our way to heaven. In fact, this was the exact stumbling block for the Israelites.
When we think about the parallel of their journey through the desert, the Israelites had to completely rely on God for provision. While He had rescued them out of slavery, He provided them daily bread, manna from heaven, which they had to collect and eat. They didn’t make the manna, yet they had to seek it, collect it, and eat it. The manna sustained them to the next day. They had not yet reached the promised land; they had to trust God all the way through the desert, through whatever danger and challenge they ran into. And, they had to trust God the day when He brought them through the river, into the promised land. So we see these beautiful pictures painted for us, of this close and dependent relationship between God and the Israelites mirroring our walk as Christians. While God provided them everything they needed, they still had to “work” for it. They would have perished if they had not collected and consumed the manna.
Jesus said that He is the bread which came down from heaven, the only bread which gives everlasting life. And, in a similar way, we cannot just sit and wait to be fed, spiritually speaking. We are not yet “in the promised land”; we as Christians are spiritually speaking walking through the desert. We need food. We need the bread from heaven. This is effort, it is work. We have to seek it, collect it, consume it. Paul says it in a bit of a controversial way, that we have to “work out our own salvation” which can seem a bit confusing. Clearly, our salvation is the free gift of God. “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” Philippians 2:12-16 ESV.
Bible commentator Meyer wrote about labor “when applied to the everlasting food, in striving and struggling after it, without which effort Jesus does not bestow it. We must come believingly to Him, must follow Him, must deny ourselves, and so on. Then we receive from Him, in ever-increasing measure, divine grace and truth, by a spiritual appropriation of Himself; and this is the abiding food, which for ever quickens and feeds the inner man; the thing itself not being really different from the water, which for ever quenches thirst (John 4:14).
Jesus said “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:31-33 ESV