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

Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.

Mark 6:39

As we continue our meditation on the way in which Christ meets our most basic need, we come to verse 39,  ‘Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.’  These folks had walked some distance in order to arrive at this location. They had spent all day, in the middle-eastern sun, listening to Christ, and concentrating on the many things that He was teaching them. It was the end of the day and they were wearing out. They were tired. Christ instructs His disciples to have the people sit down. In keeping with our theme of Christ meeting our most basic needs, what may we draw from this? Aside from anything else that Christ did, He gave them the opportunity to rest. Although it seems a simple thing, yet, rest is critically important to our general well-being. Christ meets that basic need, not just for our bodies, but for our souls as well. With regard to our bodies, the Psalmist declares, ‘so He gives His beloved sleep.’ With regard to our soul, Christ says, ‘Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ He goes on to say, in the next verse that in following and learning from Christ, ‘you will find rest for your souls.’ Here is the second of the basic needs which Christ meets. We find ourselves often weary in body, soul and spirit. We find ourselves laboring and heavily burdened. Christ, by His Personal intervention brings us to a place of rest. ‘He makes me to lie down in green pastures.’ Rest today, Child of Grace, in Christ, Who is Your Shepherd.

O Great Shepherd of the Sheep,
You enable us to rest when we have reached the end of ourselves.
You wrap us in Your loving arms; we rest our head on Your gentle breast.
Here is peace; here is calm.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.

Mark 6:34

Christ meets our most basic needs. The miracle before us is the only one recorded by all four evangelists. The pattern of Mark’s writing is very action-oriented. As he begins his account of this miracle in verse 34, he speaks of Christ’s compassion on the multitude because they were as sheep not having a shepherd. Mark tells us that the first thing which Christ did was to teach them many things.  Here is a place for us to stop and meditate today. Christ saw that they were ignorant and He taught them. So it is with us. We are abundantly ignorant of many things. Christ is compassionate towards us and teaches us. He meets the most basic need of our ignorance. Think of the abundance of subjects about which we are naturally ignorant, and about which Christ teaches us. We are ignorant about love, and He being the personification of love teaches us by His humbling Himself; living for us; dying for us; and now interceding for us. He teaches us how to have a relationship, first with Himself, and then with others. He teaches us to understand Himself, and then how to be gracious to others. He teaches us the importance of communion with Him in every area of life: the physical, mental, spiritual and social. There is no end to the subjects upon which Christ teaches us what we need to know of Him, which then translates into our actions in everyday life.  O Master, teach us more today.

Our Wise and Loving Lord, We praise You that in You resides all wisdom.
We rejoice that You teach us all those things concerning Yourself,
which are most important for us to know.  Continue this day to instruct us,
that we might know You, and how to live before You.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning