Posted on in Kingdom Life

Sit Down and Eat

READING: JOHN 6:1-14

“Sit down and Eat!” This was probably one of the most repeated phrases in my house growing up as a child, and now as a father with kids of my own, the same could be said about our house. My wife and I often get on to our kids for not eating, rushing through their meal, or making a mess around the house because they aren’t eating at the table. As parents, it puts us in a state of frenzy as we try to get them to sit and eat, yet I feel as though we are guilty of the same with our faith in Jesus Christ. I’m convinced that the reason many of us have become so prone to anxiety is because we have become so easily distracted by that which is temporary, and we endlessly worry about things we cannot change (Matt. 6:25-34). We feel this gnawing need to keep moving at a pace that we were never meant to sustain, a pace that is fueled only by the flesh and disconnected from kingdom vision and values. As a result, we quickly fall into the habit of only coming to the Word of God to look for cheap snacks and microwaved answers, while never taking the necessary time to sit down and eat the whole meal.

3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.

JOHN 6:3

When we study the gospels, it will do us much good to not only pay attention to the well-known messages that Jesus spoke and the big things that He did, but also His subtle actions and small phrases. He invites His disciples to learn from His way of life, saying, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30). Jesus worked hard and accomplished much in three and a half years of focused ministry recognizing that His time was short, yet He was never in a hurry (Jn. 5:17-19; Jn. 4:34). He was never restless, discontent or overcome by the fear-producing pressures of His day. In Matthew’s account of Jesus feeding the five thousand, He had just departed to a deserted place by Himself after He heard the news about John the Baptist’s death (Matt. 14:12-13). Mark and Luke add that He brought the apostles with Him as they returned from being sent out by Him to preach the gospel and heal the sick (Mk. 6:30-31; Lk. 9:10). The people still found Him, and He did not turn them away, for He was moved with compassion (Mk. 6:34). But even as the multitudes came to Him, He chose to sit down.

31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

MARK 6:31

Jesus told Martha that she was worried and troubled about many things, distracted with much serving, but one thing was needed, which her sister Mary had chosen–for she “sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word” (Lk. 10:38-42). We can all come into the same presence of Jesus, but not everyone will sit down. There will always be a table to serve, but serving must never take precedence over sitting at the feet of Jesus. One of the direct consequences of serving without sitting is that we begin to be overly critical of others, grumbling and complaining saying, “Lord, do You not care…” (Lk. 10:40; Isa. 40:27; Mal. 2:17; Ps. 37:7-8). May we learn to keep choosing that good part, taking our eyes off of all that appears to be in our way and lifting them to the One who is seated (Isa. 6:1; Rev. 4:2)–The One who is well aqcuainted with our griefs, who bore our sins, who makes intercession for us, who values our unnoticed obedience, who reigns over all that we fear, and who carries us through with His sufficient grace, wisdom, and power (Isa. 40:26; 53:4-5; 1 Pet. 5:7; Eph. 3:20).

19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

EPHESIANS 1:19-23

There is most assuredly a time to walk, a time to run and a time to stand, but not before we learn how to sit. “Sitting” is a posture of repentance and humility because it communicates a willingness to receive and rely upon that which is given to us. It is an honest expression of what it means to be poor in spirit, to be meek, gentle and lowly in heart. It is a posture of faith which waits on the Lord. It is an action that communicates trust and readiness. Eagles do not fly higher by flapping harder. Instead, they simply spread their wings to catch rising air currents as they soar to higher altitudes. Likewise, we wait on the Lord by sitting at His feet, staying attentive to His voice, remaining ready to obey Him, praying and relying on the rising currents of His Spirit. Many times, sitting down and waiting upon the Lord begins with looking at Jesus who endured the cross, and it ends with us following His example to take up our own cross, surrendering that which we were never meant to hold on to (Heb. 12; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 3; Rev. 5:6).

31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

ISAIAH 40:31

Then Jesus Said, “Make the people sit down” (Jn. 6:10). Our anxiety serves as a witness that we still have not learned to sit down. Therefore, because He is a Good Shepherd, there are times in our life when Jesus makes us sit down. As a father, sometimes the last thing I feel that I can afford to do is sit down, especially when it comes to providing for my hungry family–yet Jesus shows us that we can’t afford not to sit down. This has nothing to do with promoting laziness or apathy, but it has everything to do with bringing us into a life of peace and gratitude which will feed more people than we ever could in our own frantic exertion of strength. Jesus telling His discples to make the people sit down before He multiplied the loaves and fish gives us a picture of what our ministries should be doing today–leading people into such a place of rest in Christ where they learn to feed on His faithfulness, that they may truly run and not be weary, walk and not faint (Ps. 37:1-7; Gal. 3:1-3). The easy yoke is not inactivity, it’s right activity–which is produced by right relationship with Jesus (Matt. 11:28-30). The difficulty comes from trying to stay yoked to everyone and everything except Jesus, putting our effort into temporary things that oppose what He teaches us to value. I believe in calling people to respond with action, to pursue wholehearted obedience, to love God with all of our strength, but not apart from abiding in Him (Jn. 15:1-5). Are we helping others to sit down and eat or are we spreading our restlessness to them?

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures…

PSALM 23:2

6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…

EPHESIANS 2:6

Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (Jn. 6:5). Jesus doesn’t ask us questions because He doesn’t know the answer. He asks the right questions in order to lead us into the right answer (Jn. 6:6). Phillip immediately starts counting out how much it will cost, but Jesus never asked “How?” He asked “Where?” When we are restless, we look for solutions based on what we have or don’t have instead of finding them within the One we are seated with. My wife knows that she can go to the bank and withdraw funds, not because of anything other than the fact that she has covenantal access through my name. What if we didn’t allow our problems to produce more anxiety, but we let them expose where we buy our bread? Jesus called out the fact that the multitudes sought after Him, not because they saw the signs, but because they ate of the loaves and were filled (Jn. 6:26-27). He alone is the Bread of Life who supplies everlasting life, therefore, let us repent for working for that which doesn’t fill, but instead work to find our delight in Him (Isa. 55:1-3; Jn. 6:33-35; Ps. 1). Let us seek after this fresh bread that comes only from Him, that we may have something truly satisfying to set before those who are searching, to give them the food of the Holy Spirit, of the message of His body that was broken for our sins, and of knowing Him and doing His will (Lk. 11:1-13; 22:19; Matt. 24:45; Acts 3:6; Jn. 17:3; Jer. 3:15; Jn. 4:34).

11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.

JOHN 6:11

So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost” (Jn. 6:12). It’s helpful to note that this miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand took place near the time of the Passover, a time when Israel was commanded to commemorate how the Lord mercifully passed over them and did not destroy those who obediently applied the blood of the lamb over their door posts (Ex. 12; Jn. 6:4). The details of this feast would have been in the minds of the disciples and the Jews who were witnessing this miracle, indicating Jesus’ intentional timing. The Passover lamb, which was a prophetic picture of Jesus, was to be a male without blemish, one for each household, and they were to eat it in its entirety, letting none of it remain before the next morning. In light of this, I believe He had them gather up the fragments of bread to teach them why He multiplied the bread–He desires that nothing would be lost. Jesus would later go on to say, “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day” (Jn. 6:39). Much like the bread from heaven [manna] which was not to be stored for the next day [aside from the Sabaath], Jesus wanted His disciples to visually learn that He does not let anything go to waste and neither should they (Matt. 4:4; 6:11). He is the True Bread from Heaven sent to give life to the world, so that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have life without end (Jn. 6:40). In other words, He is saying, “Who will sit down and eat, receiving all that I have provided?” and “Who will obey my voice to go and gather all who have been invited to come, that no one may be lost?” And as we sit with Him, this is how we eat: We see Him and believe in Him. Not part of Him, but ALL of Him. For each household. Who will take the time to realize the table that has been set before us in the midst of all that we fear and worry about (Ps. 23:5-6)? He is seated and waiting for us to come today, that we would see His new mercy for us this day, and to receive this day our daily bread. I believe this way of life will produce in us a gratitude that will crucify the anxiety and sin that so easily ensnares us (Heb. 12:1-2).

35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.“

JOHN 6:35

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

ACTS 2:46-47

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7

ACTION POINTS: Lord, we repent and ask that You would help us…

  1. Change Our Pace [sit down and rest]. Help us to resist the temptation to chase temporary riches and cares. Help us to rest in what You have provided and wait on what You have promised.
  2. Change Our Diet [eat and receive by faith]. Help us to resist the temptation to trust in our own strength and wisdom. Help us to rely upon Your grace and look to You as our source and our delight.
  3. Change Our Perspective [respond with gratitude and obedience]. Help us to turn our eyes from worthless things. Liberate us from the bondage of fear and victimhood. Help us see You in all of Your glory, to know Your beauty, Your goodness, Your power and Your love. Help us to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, that we might do our part in gathering up those whom You give us, that no one would be lost.

Thank you for reading! We pray that our content stirs your faith and brings strength to the Body of Christ. If you would like to donate to our ministry to help us continue to serve the Church through our resources, training and more, please click the link below:

DONATE