“The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things” Mark 6: 30-34 (ESV)
Reading this passage in my Bible this week really threw me for a loop. These verses are found in the sixth chapter of the gospel of Mark, and are in reference to the apostles’ return from their quest of ministry that Jesus had sent them on just a few verses back (Mark 6:7-12). Apparently, they had great success in preaching the doctrine of repentance and in healing and casting out demons. I’m sure that as they returned, they had much to tell Jesus about their great success. They had just been out doing very intense ministry and were surely spiritually, physically, and emotionally drained. So Jesus tells them to go and rest.
And that’s what threw me for a loop. Jesus called the disciples to rest. I suppose it shouldn’t be that surprising. But it did quicken me to the fact that rest is important for those who have been doing ministry. This says a few things about the nature of ministry. First, ministry is exhausting. It should tire you out. Working for God should make you feel, as Paul said, like you are being poured out like a drink offering for others. Ministry is a tiring endeavor that requires rest. Even Spurgeon mentioned that the preacher, a prime example of a life of ministry, needs frequent vacations. But that is not to diminish the ministry that the average Christian does.
So now that we know we need rest, we might do well to look at what that rest should look like. First of all, we see that the apostles rested with Jesus. Spending time with Christ was what they did, and Christ was at the center of their rest. They weren’t resting so much as they were fellowshipping with God. This fact then explains the word “desolate” in verse 31. I looked it up in the Greek and found out that it meant ‘lonely’ or ‘solitary.’ This makes perfect sense because if you meet with Christ in a solitary place, then there are no idols to distract you. It’s just you and God. So the rest and relaxation that God calls us to is actually an opportunity to recharge your batteries in the presence of Jesus. After you minister to others, He ministers to you.
One more thing. Always be ready to get back in the saddle and minister to those in need. The last few verses of this passage tell us that Jesus and the disciples never made it to their desolate place. The crowds saw them and mobbed them and they were called to minister more. In fact, right after this, Jesus feeds the five thousand. But this puts in perspective the purpose of rest: just as we sleep so we can go about our primary business of living each day, so must we rest with God so that we as Christians may go about our primary business of expanding His kingdom. We would do well to remember that.
Reading this passage in my Bible this week really threw me for a loop. These verses are found in the sixth chapter of the gospel of Mark, and are in reference to the apostles’ return from their quest of ministry that Jesus had sent them on just a few verses back (Mark 6:7-12). Apparently, they had great success in preaching the doctrine of repentance and in healing and casting out demons. I’m sure that as they returned, they had much to tell Jesus about their great success. They had just been out doing very intense ministry and were surely spiritually, physically, and emotionally drained. So Jesus tells them to go and rest.
And that’s what threw me for a loop. Jesus called the disciples to rest. I suppose it shouldn’t be that surprising. But it did quicken me to the fact that rest is important for those who have been doing ministry. This says a few things about the nature of ministry. First, ministry is exhausting. It should tire you out. Working for God should make you feel, as Paul said, like you are being poured out like a drink offering for others. Ministry is a tiring endeavor that requires rest. Even Spurgeon mentioned that the preacher, a prime example of a life of ministry, needs frequent vacations. But that is not to diminish the ministry that the average Christian does.
So now that we know we need rest, we might do well to look at what that rest should look like. First of all, we see that the apostles rested with Jesus. Spending time with Christ was what they did, and Christ was at the center of their rest. They weren’t resting so much as they were fellowshipping with God. This fact then explains the word “desolate” in verse 31. I looked it up in the Greek and found out that it meant ‘lonely’ or ‘solitary.’ This makes perfect sense because if you meet with Christ in a solitary place, then there are no idols to distract you. It’s just you and God. So the rest and relaxation that God calls us to is actually an opportunity to recharge your batteries in the presence of Jesus. After you minister to others, He ministers to you.
One more thing. Always be ready to get back in the saddle and minister to those in need. The last few verses of this passage tell us that Jesus and the disciples never made it to their desolate place. The crowds saw them and mobbed them and they were called to minister more. In fact, right after this, Jesus feeds the five thousand. But this puts in perspective the purpose of rest: just as we sleep so we can go about our primary business of living each day, so must we rest with God so that we as Christians may go about our primary business of expanding His kingdom. We would do well to remember that.
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