Jan 31 2019 Mark 6:30-46

‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’

The best laid plans... Jesus tells his disciples to come to a deserted place, and rest because they didn’t have time to eat, with all the hubbub of their new ministry. They cross the sea to the deserted place, but the people saw them leave, and beat them to their deserted place. When they arrived, they found more crowds in need of healing. Jesus, being compassionate, got right back into his ministry of teaching.

I’m imagining the disciples were thinking that this wasn’t such a great deserted place after all. So when it’s getting dark, they try to convince Jesus to send them away so they can go find food. Jesus will have none of it. He makes his disciples feed the 5,000. After they do, he makes them return in the boat while he goes up to the deserted place, all by himself.

There are times I’ve felt like those disciples. I’m called away to rest – reluctantly. When I get there, it’s not so restful; there’s more work to be done. And the work is hard. And I’m spent. I respond something like the disciples, “Are we to spend 200 denarii on bread and give it to them?” You have GOT to be kidding me!

But the disciples got their food, didn’t they? And so did the crowd. Despite their doubt and fatigue and hunger, they had what they needed to be fed, and to feed the crowd. They had God.

When I’m at the end of my rope, in need of rest and a deserted place, sometimes I’m called to do even more. Maybe we’re put in that tenuous place to remind us that – in fact – we cannot do it alone. And it’s when I realize I have no more left to give, that I can more readily turn to and accept God’s grace. It never was about me anyway.