The apostle Paul once informed the believers of Galatia, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:13-14). As believers, we have great freedom in Christ and are highly treasured in the eyes of God; but we often mistakenly view our standing in Christ as entitlement, and we abuse God’s grace. We fall into the trap of serving ourselves and serving sin.
As Paul taught, do not use your freedom in Christ as an opportunity to serve sin and serve self; but rather, “through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). Be certain to “love your neighbor as yourself” (5:14). For example, you might care enough about yourself to eat at the most expensive restaurants in town. If the Lord impresses on your heart to treat a homeless man to lunch, and you truly love him as yourself, you will not take him to a fast food joint. You must be willing to love and serve him, just as you love and serve yourself.
In our passage today, we will see how the disciples were tired and worn out from ministry; however, Jesus challenged them to put aside their own needs to love and serve others; and as a result the disciples were refreshed in an unexpected manner.
Jesus and His Disciples Needed Rest (vv. 30-31)
30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, “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.
In looking back at verse 29, we learn that the disciples had approached King Herod requesting the body of John the Baptist in order to give him a proper burial. When they had informed Jesus about their heart-wrenching experience, or “what they had done” (Mark 6:30), He directed them to, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). The disciples were emotionally exhausted from having to bury their respected colleague, John the Baptist, and mentally spent from the intense teaching they had been doing (v. 30).
Jesus realized it was time for His disciples to catch up on some much-needed rest, for He knew that down-time is necessary for effectiveness in ministry. Charles Spurgeon once said, “Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength . . . It is wisdom to take occasional furlough. In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less.”(1) Rest is very important, because spending time with God is what energizes us for service. Melvin Tinker states that Jesus, by taking time out, achieved more in three years than kings and generals could in a thousand years.(2) He continues to comment that,
[Jesus] knew His needs and limitations - even He couldn’t work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week - and neither can we. But also, He could have the confidence to do this because of His quiet, serene knowledge that His time was in His Father’s hands, that He wasn’t going to change the world by one endless round of activity, but by doing things in God’s time [and] in God’s way.(3)
It is absolute necessary to rest and spend time with the Lord. However, there is a problem when we allow the “principle of rest” to be carried to an extreme, and use it as an excuse for idleness, allowing our personal time to take precedence over the needs of other people. We need to be careful about spending so much time resting that we neglect the mandate to evangelize and care for the spiritual and physical needs of the people around us. In an article on solitude, community and ministry, it is stated that, “Jesus moved from time alone with God to time with others. Jesus chose to accomplish His ministry through making Himself vulnerable in community . . . and ministering to others along the way.”(4)
Jesus knew He needed to rest; but after resting, He always reentered society, became involved in the community, and focused on the vital task of ministry. He did not completely withdraw Himself from the world, and try to justify His actions by twisting the Scripture, as some believers do today, declaring, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18, KJV). Jesus spent time with people, especially the lost.
It is important to rest, but it is also crucial to be involved in ministry. It is true that an individual can devote so much time to spiritual service that he gets burnt out; however, one can also spend too much time in rest and retreat and completely forsake the lost and needy. The key is finding a healthy balance and using one’s time wisely. Without balance we can foolishly waste the Lord’s time, and fail to accomplish His desires will. Paul admonished the believers in Ephesus, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17).
We need to understand that time does not belong to us. When we mistakenly believe that time is ours to expend at our own discretion, we tend to waste it on things that are eternally inconsequential; and when we view rest as an entitlement rather than a need, we use it as an excuse for idleness. Jerry Bridges, in his book The Practice of Godliness, says to be sure to “accept the cost of good deeds in time, thought, and effort . . . Remember that opportunities for doing good are not interruptions in God’s plan for us, but part of that plan. We always have time to do what God wants us to do.”(5)
Jesus Put Aside His Own Needs (vv. 32-34)
32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. 33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. 34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
Both Jesus and His disciples retreated for rest as they climbed into the boat and headed for the other side of the sea. Mark then testifies, “But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him” (Mark 6:33). Their time of rest was quickly cut short. Jesus and His disciples could have easily concluded, “Our health and well being are more important at this moment than teaching all these people.” Instead, Jesus was moved with compassion and began to teach them, no doubt instructing His disciples to assist Him where needed. David Raley says, “I believe one of the things that Christ did which was so effective is that He moved among people slowly, deliberately and routinely. Sure he was on His way somewhere, yet His travel was as important, if not more so than His destination.”(6)
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “It’s not about the destination, but the journey.” Jesus was indeed on His way somewhere, like finding a place for He and His disciples to rest, but He refused to miss any opportunity for ministry that presented itself along the way. If we look ahead to verses 35-44, we can see that Jesus and the disciples even took time to feed all the people whom He was teaching, which was a great multitude of five thousand men, plus women and children (Mark 6:35-44). How many of us could be as selfless as Jesus, and give up some valuable rest time in order to help a crowd of people? Joyce Meyer says, “People don’t care about others the way they once did. Materialism has crept into the church. People no longer have time to help others, to serve others, to pray for others; they are often too busy trying to get what they want for themselves.”(7)
How many of us would be willing to take a moment from our day off in order to help someone in need? We live in a busy, fast-paced world, and time is precious to us. What little time we have, we want it all for ourselves; and we often balk at the notion of giving time to the church or serving others. David Raley continues to share,
The other day I was pulling out of a strip mall in Springfield, [Missouri] in a rush to finish some errands. I watched as a bus stopped and unloaded passengers at the corner of the block. What I saw next was a sight that hurt me deeply.
A mother carrying what looked like a year-old baby in a child backpack, tumbled out of the bus as she was exiting. In her rush she missed her step and the baby and her hit the pavement. I immediately stopped my vehicle in the traffic and ran to assist her and her child. This mother was in tears for fear of having hurt her child. She was embarrassed and humiliated, and tears were pouring like a stream from her eyes. I tried to offer her a ride somewhere but she was at her destination.
After a moment or so I asked her if I could pray with her and she gave me permission to do so. After a few more moments, and seeing that she was better, I left them. I left her and the child but she and the baby did not leave me. I could not help but think about how difficult life was for the single mother with little money in a busy world with scarce help from others.
I would like to say that dozens stopped and tried to assist but that would not be the case. You see, people had places to go and things to do, and no time for an accident by a misfortunate mother . . . It was inconvenient and got me off my task, but it was worth the time.(8)
When Paul and Silas were bound in prison, they could have chosen to focus only on their own needs; however, realizing that the other “prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25), they began to sing in faith, demonstrating their hope in God’s deliverance. When the doors of the prison miraculously opened and their chains fell off (Acts 16:26), Paul and Silas could have chosen to flee; however, they remained in order to persuade the prison keeper not to kill himself (Acts 16:27-28). If need arise, we should be willing to put aside our own needs and our own plans, if we are going to reach people with the message of salvation in Christ.
Jesus Revealed a Refreshing in Service (vv. 35-44)
35 When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. 36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.” 37 But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” 38 But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.”
39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. 41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. 42 So they all ate and were filled. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.
“When the day was now far spent” (v. 35) - meaning that finding a moment of rest was nearly impossible - the disciples approached Jesus, and they basically said, “This is a deserted place like You promised. Now send the people away so we can get what little rest we can find” (vv. 35-36). Instead of Jesus sending the people away, He commanded the disciples to give them something to eat (v. 37). This, of course, was not what they had in mind. In sleepless irritation they became sarcastic, and they in essence said, “You expect us poor disciples to have enough money to feed this group consisting of thousands?” (v. 37).
We discover that what Jesus had in mind was a miracle, for He instructed the disciples to feed around five thousand men (v. 44) and their families, with five loaves of bread and two fish (vv. 38-41). The text tells us that “they all ate and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish” (vv. 42-43). The five loaves and two fish multiplied into overwhelming abundance! Some scholars suggest that what happened here, is that each family present had a little bit of food with them already, and they all pitched in sharing with each other. What happened here was no Stone Soup, but a bona fide miracle!
The part that I wish to emphasize here is “they all ate and were filled” (v. 42). This statement refers to more than just gastric satisfaction. The disciples were depleted both physically and spiritually by their fatigue. The food helped to energize them physically; but the biggest benefit from this miracle was spiritual satisfaction and renewed vitality. The disciples had said, “This is a deserted place, so send the people away so we can get some rest.” What they received in that very place was a “spiritual” refreshing, and to their surprise it was obtained by serving others.
Time of Reflection
As a believer, are you feeling spiritually dry and tired? Are you so worn out that you cannot even fathom serving others, or working in the church? Perhaps the only thing on your mind right now is getting away from people and spending some time by yourself, or maybe devoting some time alone with God. Just be sure you are not using it as an excuse to serve yourself, and do what you want to do. If indeed you are seeking spiritual renewal, then keep in mind that it is often found in the least expected place, like actually serving others.
Jesus had invited His disciples to be renewed, saying, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (v. 31). For the lost person, renewal begins the very moment that person receives Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; and that rest and refreshing consists of the forgiveness of sin and eternal life. Jesus once declared to all who are seeking the forgiveness of sin and spiritual renewal, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). In reference to the Messiah, Isaiah declared, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing” (Isaiah 28:12). I want to invite you to come today and be refreshed, and be made new in Jesus Christ.
NOTES
(1) Charles Spurgeon, “Lectures to My Students - XI,” (1856), Grace Quotes: thegracetabernacle.org/quotes/Rest.htm (Accessed August 2, 2011).
(2) Melvin Tinker, “Wisdom to Live By,” (Christian Focus Publications, 1998), Grace Quotes: thegracetabernacle.org/quotes/Rest.htm (Accessed August 2, 2011).
(3) Ibid.
(4) “Solitude . . . Community . . . Ministry,” Gateway Leaders: www.gatewayleaders.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=160:solitude-community-ministry&catid=90:general-tips&Itemid=152 (Accessed August 2, 2011).
(5) Jerry Bridges, The Practice of Godliness (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1996), p. 199.
(6) David Raley, “Take Some Time for Others,” David Raley Ministries: davidraley.com/blog/?p=21 (Accessed August 2, 2011).
(7) Joyce Meyer, Reduce Me to Love (New York, NY: Faith Words, 2000).
(8) Raley, “Take Some Time for Others.”
