John 6:25–27: “When they found Him on the other side of the lake, they said to Him, ‘Rabbi, when did you get here?’ Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the solemn truth, you are looking for Me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted. Do not work for the food that disappears, but for the food that remains to eternal life, the food which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put His seal of approval on Him.’”

These people put a lot of effort into getting to Jesus. The day before, they had just had their fill of bread and the food was still, in a sense, “pumping in them.” The feeling was good, and they were seeking that feeling. That feeling, of course, soon goes. They want the next fix.

Jesus is saying, “Don’t be seeking a quick fix and then you’re going to need another fix tomorrow.” He says, “Do not work for the food that disappears.” It has disappeared—they have gone to the restroom, and now they need another one.

Are there ways in which what we are seeking —what we are using our energy for—good things or bad things—are the very things that disappear? You chase it, chase it, chase it, but when you wake up the next day, that feeling has disappeared. You got that feeling the first day, but the next day it disappeared, and you’re looking for the same hit again. You’re looking for the same high, and you’re pursuing the same adventure.

We are all like this, as far as I’m concerned—on a rat race seeking for the next fix. “If I get this next amount of money, then I’m going to have that feeling.” But the next day the feeling disappears, and you’re looking for another feeling. And He said, “Do not work for the food that disappears.” Is that not all our life?

And of course this is metaphorical. The people, having been miraculously fed the day before, are now chasing that same feeling—and it will disappear. That food is going to disappear.

He is saying—and I’m thinking this is a lot of our lives, a lot of what we are seeking, a lot of what we are pursuing—we are seeking a high. It doesn’t have to be what you would call morally degenerative. It could be something that is “good” in people’s eyes. Eating is a good thing; nobody can argue that. I’m not just pointing a finger at these people; I’m saying: humanity, Jesus is diagnosing our problem and saying, “What are we seeking?” We are seeking food that disappears. We are pursuing things that disappear, that don’t last.

He says, “Do not work for the food that disappears, but for the food that remains to eternal life.” There’s this illustration Jesus gives about the rich man who had a bumper harvest and told himself, “I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones… take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry” (Luke 12:16–19). He had no time to enjoy it, because he died that night. Jesus’ point was that it is not good to be the kind of person who is not rich toward God (Luke 12:20–21).

Here He is telling them: “Do not work for the food that disappears.” That is such a powerful point. “But for the food that remains to eternal life.” He is telling them to have the right valuation, and therefore to pursue the right things—not necessarily what gives you an immediate high, but something of eternal value, something of eternal relevance.

We are talking about having a spiritual valuation for the things of God. Jesus, in Matthew, said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Those are recruitment words—Christ recruiting for Himself an army, motivating you not by something immediate, but by something that has eternal relevance. He is motivating you by something eternal.

God bless you. See you later.