Sitting Down By Companies

Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.

Mark 6:39-40

God is the God of order. Out of the chaos and darkness, He brought the creation. Out of the random paganism of ancient days, He called forth Abraham. Throughout the ages of the ancients, He brought the line of the faithful. From the disorder of competing philosophies and revelations, He has brought the Scriptures. Here we find Christ, bringing order to that which would have been otherwise disorderly. Our text declares that Christ ‘commanded them to make all sit down by companies.’ It goes on to say that ‘they sat down in ranks by hundreds, and by fifties.’ Christ brings order out of disorder and unifies the disunified. He takes those who are wandering about disconnectedly and, sets the solitary in families. Christ declared, ‘I will build my church,’ and so He does. His elect are scattered over the whole earth. They have arrived, by natural birth, into every generation. Christ has ordered and arranged all the circumstances and conditions in order to draw His elect savingly unto Himself. He has sent forth His evangelists to preach Christ. He has sent forth the Holy Spirit to grant regeneration, repentance unto life and to give faith to believe.  Christ has then placed these solitary souls in the midst of a company of believers, that they might rest, and be fed by His miraculous feeding. As He does in so many others areas, Christ sets our solitary souls in a company of folk who will, with us, continue to sit at the feet of Jesus, and ‘wonder at the gracious words that proceed out of His Mouth.’

Our Great God of wonders, we praise Your Holy Name.
You, by Your Merciful Power, bring order out of our disorder,
and organize that which would, without You, be utter chaos.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning