Wednesday, January 06, 2016

In recent visits we’ve been looking at Mark 6:31-56 to discover how Jesus taught His disciples to cope when the demands of work become overwhelming. We must take care not to let our physical and spiritual energy reservoir get too low. When we sense it getting low we need to turn to Jesus, get alone with Jesus in a quiet place and get some rest. But sometimes when we try to do this we find that our work follows us and intrudes into our planned rest. This happened immediately to Jesus and His disciples, illustrated in verse 33: “But many who saw them leaving (for that time of rest) recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.” You could paraphrase this, “but many recognized what they were trying to do.” Though the crowd recognized they were going to a secluded place for rest, they nevertheless ran ahead of them to meet them. Though the energy reservoir of the disciples was dangerously low, Jesus was still operating on an adequate supply in His own life. He noted that these dear folk who followed them were like sheep without a shepherd and He had compassion on them. He reached out and ministered to them. After teaching them he had his weary and reluctant disciples help him in the miracle of feeding the five thousand. We should always seek to get refreshed before our energy reservoir is dangerously low – that way, we can recognize and respond to obvious need, even if it intrudes into our planned rest. Jesus models this beautifully. Do you?