“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”
My Notes
What Does John 6:27 Mean?
Jesus challenges the crowd who followed him after the feeding of the five thousand: you are seeking me because you ate the loaves and were filled. Their pursuit of Jesus was motivated by material benefit, not spiritual hunger.
"Labour not for the meat which perisheth" — stop investing your primary energy in what is temporary. Food spoils. Material goods decay. Earthly security is perishable.
"But for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life" — redirect your labor toward what lasts. The sustenance Jesus offers is eternal. It does not spoil, decay, or run out.
"Which the Son of man shall give unto you" — the eternal sustenance is a gift, not a wage. You do not earn it through labor. You receive it from the Son of man. The labor Jesus commands is not earning but redirecting — pointing your energy at the eternal rather than the temporary.
"For him hath God the Father sealed" — Jesus is authenticated by the Father. The seal is God's endorsement — the guarantee that what Jesus gives is genuine.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What 'meat that perisheth' are you spending your primary energy on?
- 2.How does Jesus calling eternal sustenance a 'gift' rather than a wage change your approach?
- 3.What does it look like to redirect your labor from temporal to eternal things?
- 4.Where has material pursuit been masquerading as spiritual hunger in your life?
Devotional
Labour not for the meat which perisheth. The crowd came because they ate bread and were full. Their miracle-chasing was stomach-driven. And Jesus said: you are working for the wrong food.
The meat which perisheth. Everything you are hustling for — the career, the security, the comfort, the next thing on the list — it perishes. It spoils. It runs out. You eat it today and you are hungry tomorrow.
But for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life. There is a different kind of sustenance. The kind that lasts. The kind that does not leave you hungry again in three hours. The kind that satisfies at the level of your soul, not just your stomach.
Which the Son of man shall give unto you. Give. Not sell. Not trade. Give. The eternal sustenance is not earned through harder work. It is received from someone who has it and offers it freely.
What are you laboring for? If your primary energy is directed at perishable things — and perishable things include everything that does not last forever — Jesus says: redirect. There is food that does not spoil. And it is a gift.
Stop working for what perishes. Start receiving what endures.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Then said they unto him,.... Understanding by what he said, that they must labour and work, though not for perishing…
Labour not - This does not mean that we are to make no effort for the supply of our wants (compare 1Ti 5:1; 2Th 3:10),…
Labor not for the meat - That is, for that only, but also for the bread, etc. Our Lord wills every man to be active and…
In these verses we have,
I. The careful enquiry which the people made after Christ, Joh 6:23, Joh 6:24. They saw the…
Labour not for, &c. Better, Work not for, &c. The translation in the margin is preferable, to keep up the connexion with…
Cross References
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