Jesus’ disciples just came from a successful journey telling others about him and the Kingdom of God. They were excited and eager to share with Jesus all that had happened, but there were so many people coming to them for help.
Exhausted, they again found themselves ministering to the crowd following them. The needs were so great that they could not even find time to eat.
Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. —Mark 6:31, NIV
This is the invitation of Jesus to his disciples. He recognizes their needs and invites them to “come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” Sooner than planned, the needs of the crowds again press in on them and they are back to work.
We often find ourselves in similar situations. The demands on our time are great. If it is not work, it is our family’s needs or something equally as pressing. Our mission to honor God by enriching the lives and touching the hearts of older adults is self-giving. Whatever role we play in our communities, we do well to respond to Christ’s invitation to come apart with him if we are to keep from coming apart at the seams. We cannot do the work that is before us on our own.
We need to sit at Jesus’ feet and place our lives in his presence so that we can be healed, encouraged, refreshed, and strengthened. We need to be reminded of what our mission is and for whom we are working. We need to be yoked with Christ if our mission is to be an extension of Christ’s mission.
In our busy schedule, rest is a luxury. Let us intentionally give ourselves some time to respond to Christ’s invitation to be with him and rest in him. It is in our time alone with the Lord that God provides sustenance, protection, renewal and direction. From the beginning of creation, God has established the sacred pattern of going and returning, labor and rest. Christ invites us to dedicate time for restoration.
Let us find ourselves held in the everlasting arms that support us and hold us up when we are ready to fall. Resting in Christ is the only way we can maintain ourselves as useful instruments of God.
Strengthened by our time apart with Christ, “let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:9-10).
About Pastor Vincent Bete: I was an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church in the Philippines in 1994 and now serve at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Ankeny, Iowa, while also serving as pastor at Mill Pond. My family moved to the United States in 2007 through International Nurse Recruitment, a PHS affiliate, in which my wife was recruited as a nurse.
The Light for the Way series provides staff with an examination of a biblical reading to deepen our focus on scripture. Thank you for engaging with this series as we seek wisdom through prayer and reflection as a Christian Ministry.
