Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.
~Mark 6:31
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For many years, our family has secretly held that somewhere long ago, we were related to Hobbits. Eating together, no matter how simple or complex, is the break in our days that has given us relief and rest from the stresses of life and opened great friendship and community. Even Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, made space in His life for rest when things got hectic. He knew what He and His disciples needed in order for His ministry to continue.
I love that this verse says they “didn’t even have time to eat.” Haven’t you felt like this? Doesn’t this capture the feeling we have all had in times of extreme busyness? In the midst of life—discipleship, family, work, and ministry—there will be times where it will be difficult even to fit a meal into the schedule. In these times, Jesus, through the example of His own life, calls us not to give in to chaos, but to think sustainability—to create a space of rest and to tend to our needs and the needs of our family. When we do that, we are modeling for our children how to live well and take care of ourselves as well as others.
As humans, we are essentially needy; we have needs that, if ignored, will lead to severe consequences. If we do not eat, we will eventually starve. If we do not drink, we will eventually die of thirst. If we do not sleep, we will become psychotic and eventually die as well. And long before these eventualities come about, we will become depleted and unable to attend to our responsibilities. It is impossible for us to tackle the day and life before us if our basic needs are not attended to.
Our basic needs are not only physical, of course. We have souls as well as bodies, and so we also have soul needs—for friendship, beauty, peace, and communion with God. Just as we must plan meals and snacks to feed physical bodies, we must plan ways to feed souls, including our own.
We hope you’ll enjoy this podcast about the importance and joy of feasting, and how it complements a home focused on living in grace!
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