No Rest Working With Jesus

Mark 6: 30-34

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

³⁰ The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. ³¹ Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

³² So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. ³³ But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Let us put ourselves into this scene.  How often do we find ourselves weary but constantly besieged by others or our own TO DO List, leaving no time to recoup our energy?  So too Jesus and the apostles, even with no time to eat. When they found a "safe haven", the crowd found them,  and Jesus began to teach them.  So went the intended rest.  The word COMPASSION leaps out at us...Jesus with the most compassionate heart ever to beat in human flesh put rest aside and continued his "work".  No doubt the apostles too were involved and gave up their needed rest.  As important as rest is, it takes second place to compassionate care of others.  When absolutely needed, rest will come, but following in the footsteps of the compassionate Jesus should come first. Let us ask for the grace to give of ourselves as much as we can while at the same time acknowledging our limitations and need for compassionate care of ourselves (including food and rest), so that we might be able to continue our ministry to others.

Bro. Rene