"27Labour 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. 28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (John 6: 27-29)
Notice that Jesus did say there is a labor for all of us, but it is a labor of not laboring.
Are you confused? Don't be.
Consider the pleas of the Israelites of Jesus' day:
"What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?"
Notice the insistence on work, works, and what we do for God. Notice that the Israelites spoke of works (plural), while Jesus reduced it to one work: "Believe on me!"
In the beginning, God created all things, not man, and God commanded man to enjoy all things:
"15And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat" (Genesis 2: 15-16)
Notice how God placed man in the garden to enjoy it. Man provided nothing.
The Psalmist affirms that He creates, we enjoy:
"3Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." (Psalm 100: 3)
David the Great King knew better, that we can give God nothing:
"But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee." (1 Chronicles 29: 14)
Jesus later reminded his disciples, at that point elevated to friends:
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15: 5)
We need to believe this in its fullest. Apart from Him, we can do no thing, because all things comes from him:
"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:" (Colossians 1: 16)
If there is a labor, it is to believe on Him for all things:
"28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11: 28-30)
and also
"Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." (Hebrews 4: 11)
Notice that the opposite of the labor is unbelief. Do we believe that Jesus has taken care of everything for us? Paul has to gently rebuke this unbelief in us:
"31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8: 31-34)
This is the labor, beloved: Believe on Jesus!
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