Real Hope: WearinessSample

Rest A While. Sure. When?

Compared to the other Gospels, Mark seems to present a more ‘hurried’ account of Jesus’ life. He employs ‘immediately’ or ‘at once’ 39 times. Mark is in such a hurry to introduce Jesus that he skips Jesus’ birth altogether and goes straight to His baptism and ministry. In a short burst of verses in Mark 6, we read of Jesus teaching at the Temple and again being rejected by the priests and locals. Then the seduction of Herod to murder John the Baptist, followed by the dispatch and return of the disciples from their first foray into healing and preaching without their master. All in a mere 30 verses. Other books would take chapters to cover only one or two of these events.

Now to Jesus recommending a well-earnt rest in Mark 6:31. Jesus and the disciples take a boat to the ‘deserted place’; however, thousands of locals can race around the shoreline and meet the weary travellers. Surely there must have been at least one mutter: Come on, guys! Can’t you give us just a night off? That one wasn’t Jesus.

From where does Jesus summon the compassion after the week's deep hurts and great joys? Could it have been that He never waited until He was running on spiritual fumes before topping up in prayer with His Father? Mark records Jesus taking time out to rest (and pray) eleven times in his Gospel. Those moments really stand out against the rest of Mark’s rapid-fire record.

We all have days when it feels like we’re giving more than receiving. When those days come, remind yourself that even Jesus took time out to pray and recover. Our resources are finite. God’s are infinite.

Written by DWAYNE JEFFRIES