“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).
The text is a typical example of a type of idiom (a characteristic mode of expression) used by Jewish people in the first century. It is the use of the “do not … but” construction to make a contrast.
It does not tell us it is wrong to labor for physical food. In other places, the Holy Spirit expresses the importance of providing for our family (cf. 1 Timothy 5:8). Rather, we must have our priorities in order, giving proper emphasis and prevalence to spiritual matters.
We are to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33).
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