Word Count: 2050
2 Samuel 7:1-14a Psalm 89:20-37 Ephesians 2:11-22 Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
Summary: Jesus teaches us the way of love, how to give grace to our neighbours, whether we like them or not. Jesus teaches us about faith and miracles and healing but Jesus also teaches us about the simple things in life like going to a quiet place, alone and rest.
This sermon was delivered to the congregation in St Oswald’s in Maybole, Ayrshire, Scotland on the 19th July 2009: by Gordon McCulloch (A Scottish Episcopal Church in the Dioceses of Glasgow and Dumfries).
Please join me in my prayer: Lord, many of us look forward to the summer as it is a time for vacations and holidays; whether we travel to the mountains or the sea side, whether it is in this country or abroad, but NOT everyone knows that it is a direct command from you, and that we should not feel guilty about resting, and just doing nothing in its proper place and time. Lord let me speak these words for you today, in Jesus name. Amen.
Our Gospel reading today is taken from Marks’s Gospel, chapter 6, verse 30-34 and 53-56. “The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves 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 deserted place by themselves.
Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed”.
Introduction:
My last sermon included over fifty verses; the opposite now applies where I considering only three verses. Let us read through Mark 30 – 32 again and be prepared to be surprised, as to where it takes us. My text is as usual from the King James.
Mark 6:30
“Then the apostles”; we will stop right here.
What is the word then placed here for? “Then the apostles”; then is a logical word to conclude the mission they had just returned from. The mission mentioned, prior to this verse, is where Jesus had sent out the 12 original apostles on their own; for the first time.
Funny enough the word, “apostle,” from the Greek means “sent”; sent as in go forth and not the smell.
The twelve disciples had been sent out on their first missionary journey alone; and we Christians are apostle-like people. We are always sent out into the world around us. We are not just Christians who sit back in our churches, or in our homes, our comfortable enclaves but we are actually sent into the communities, towns and villages around us with the message and the power of the gospel.
We do not realize that is what we do; but according to scripture, we are God’s representatives on Earth, so that must be what we do. Obviously somebody needs to tell us that, but it is up to us to believe it. Okay, we do not ram religion down other people’s throats, but by our very existence we are the representatives of Christ in this world today.
Question: if it is not us, who is it then who represents God? Do you know that we are the best God has, and that certainly worries me. In fact it is frightening to think of it in this way, but who else is representing Jesus in this world today?
Do you just think you come to Church every other Sunday, and do the odd good deed or two? No, there is so much more going on in your and my life, than you or I can possibly apprehend. Don’t believe me?
Well think of a time when somebody has confronted you, attacked you head on, and you are bound, you cannot retaliate in the same manner because you a Christian. I am sure this has happened to you many times, it has certainly happened to me; but note when this happens, recognize the fact that you are Gods representative, you are not acting alone. You are definitely not on your own. You are acting for Him, Him who will defend you.
I say this in a hope that it gives you confidence when you hear it; but we will leave that for the time being, but think seriously about it; and try and deny it if you can.
Anyway, let us move on, verse 30 still, we have only read three words so far, “Then the apostles” Right, “Then the apostles gathered around Jesus.” Then the apostles gathered around Jesus? Why did they do that? Well followers of Christ always gather around Jesus. Jesus is the center, the focus, the core, the axis, the hub of the Christian church. We always gather around Jesus. Jesus is our life, or reason for being, our raison d'être. “He is the way the truth and the life”. I like that verse, so I thought I would slip it in.
Verse 30 still
Then the apostles gathered around Jesus and told him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.
It is almost as if the first disciples were like little children, all excited and wanting to come back and report everything to their master of what they had seen, done and taught. They wanted to share with Jesus what had happened.
We too enjoy sharing good news with people who are authority figures, especially if their have sent us out on a task. These first disciples were no different; they wanted to share their good news with their mentor and teacher, Jesus.
Verse 31 He (that is Jesus) said to them, "Come aside by yourselves, to a deserted place and rest a while”. After Jesus listened to his disciples, he suggested that they go away to a deserted place all by themselves for a while. They were obviously full of themselves, so He sent them out again to a deserted place somewhere, but this time he told them to rest. Nothing else; just rest; … and for a while … (until they had refreshed themselves).
They had been enormously busy. They had been preaching and healing and sharing the gospel, and they had helped real people with real problems in their real lives. They were basically exhausted, but over the moon with it and with themselves. Think about how you feel yourself, after you have successfully helped someone who has been in trouble.
Jesus was basically saying, stop! “It is time now to take a breather; go away, and have a break”, or as the King James says it “Come aside by yourselves, to a deserted place and rest a while”
Everybody is always telling me to do that, some day I will listen … and act, but in preparing and delivering this sermon, I will have to think very carefully about a few things, in fact I am the worst person to tell anyone to rest and relax, but this command is not from me, it is from the very mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, as written in the bible.
What if Jesus was from Maybole with a typical Maybole attitude, remember I am a Maybole man. He would probably say something like, “You weren’t that good, away and calm down somewhere!” Correct! He would have been blunt and would have put you down, but the Jesus we worship said "Come aside by yourselves, to a deserted place and rest a while”
Yes, Jesus teaches us many things about life. Jesus teaches us about the way of love and how to show compassion and grace to our neighbours, whether we like them or not. Jesus teaches us about the power of belief and faith through grace and miracles and healing and many other great and mighty things, BUT Jesus also teaches us some other very very basic simple things to do, like go to a Quiet Place, Yourself and Rest.
To move on, we are still on verse 31, He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves, to a deserted place and rest a while” for there were many coming and going.
We can certainly relate to that, everybody is so busy nowadays, including myself; and if you think it is hectic here in Ayrshire, go down to England and watch the pace of life there. Those people come here for peace and rest holiday.
The world we live in has become a rat-race. We are so busy, all of the time with our comings and goings, so much so that we don’t even have time to eat. What does the end of verse 31 say, “and they did not even have time to eat”.
"Come aside by yourselves, to a deserted place and rest a while, for there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat”.
I am going to say this again, Jesus our Lord is not teaching us here about the great and grand issues of life such as loving God and our neighbors and having a powerful faith that moves mountains, Jesus is teaching us about the simple things of life such as rest, solitude, and quiet; and more importantly your communication with God through the Holy Spirit. Remember him, Him as a dove; Doves fly off at the first sense of unrest. Do you get it?
Notice also the words, come aside, which clearly mean to me that, if your life is the opposite, that is, it is quiet and lonely, you too need to get away, and see yourself from the distance. Get away from your familiar circumstances and routines, and re-evaluate your life and yourself from a different viewpoint, if you can.
I can relate to that side of life myself, when I was unemployed years ago, so I appreciate the fact that some people are not busy, have an unhealthy routine of messing about, and boredom; in fact my heart goes more out to them.
We will finish of with verse 32 “So they departed to a deserted place in a boat by themselves”. We can envisage the disciples getting into a boat, a large boat that would accommodate them all, and then going to a deserted place, all by themselves.
That is what many people would like to do: too go to a deserted place; away from telephones; computers, TV’s, radio’s, etc. with their friends or friends they do not know.
Jesus was their shepherd, their leader, and their guide; and Jesus knew that it was time for his disciples to rest and recuperate, and this meant being alone in the wilderness. In the gospel story for today, Jesus our good and wise shepherd, is leading us to “rest in green pastures and lie down by still waters, and thereby restoring our souls”. Today, Jesus is teaching us about the wisdom and necessity of resting out in a quiet place.
Amen.
We shall now pray: Lord may these words speak for you, words that tell the apostles to rest, relax and take it easy. Let these words remind everyone here that every individual needs a rest area, and a time away from the daily stresses and hurried routines of their lives. Lord by us accepting this command; make this opportunity available for everyone who asks. We make this request as commanded, in Jesus name, Amen
