[CYM] 52.0 Do Not Work for Food That Spoils

Yeshua’s command “Do not work for food that spoils” is found in John 6:27, during a conversation with the crowd who followed Him after the miraculous feeding of the 5,000. They sought Him for more bread, but Yeshua redirects their attention:

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.

This is a command to shift priorities—from pursuing temporary, earthly provision to seeking eternal nourishment, which only Christ can give. Yeshua reveals that He Himself is the “bread of life” (John 6:35), the true sustenance for the soul. The command calls for faith-driven effort, not for physical bread, but for spiritual transformation through belief in Him.

While Matthew, Mark, and Luke do not record this exact phrase, the theme is consistent throughout their Gospels. In Matthew 6:19–21, Yeshua teaches:

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Similarly, in Luke 12:23, He says:
The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

These teachings emphasize eternal focus over temporal gain, urging believers to pursue the kingdom of God above all else (cf. Matthew 6:33).

In summary, Yeshua commands us to value eternal realities over material ones, trusting Him as the source of life that never perishes.