That day when evening came, he said to his disciples,
“Let us go over to the other side.”
Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.
Mark 4:35-36a
Periodically, the Gospels record accounts of Jesus pulling away to be alone with His Disciples. He often says it is specifically to rest. In the verses following those listed above, Jesus Himself needed a rest, as the Scripture reports He was taking a nap.
Jesus was both God the creator and fully human. His body of flesh became tired. He grew weary. He knew when He needed a time out and He took it. As our creator, He actually designed our bodies to need rest.
I have a confession: I don’t do rest well. I don’t nap. I push on and keep pushing. Even when I know I need rest, I usually refuse myself the blessing.
After reading this passage, I’m convicted. My refusal to rest is an area of pride to be confessed. (Funny thing about pride – you kick it out the front door and here it comes. Sneaking in the back!)
If Jesus needed rest and took a nap, then surely this girl does, too. (And maybe, just maybe, you…the girl reading along….might need some rest, as well.) In fact, often a good night’s rest can bring an entirely fresh perspective on a worry or problem. Those issues that loomed so large seem not so much so after a few hours of sleep. What we may often categorize as a huge emotional or spiritual battle may really just be a need for physical rest.
A phrase is jumping out in verse 36 that I’m not sure I had noticed before: Leaving the crowd behind… All too often, we view rest as our reward for finishing the job. “When everything is crossed off my To Do list, then I will rest,” I’ve told myself. The reality is for every one cross-off, there are usually two add-ons!
As Jesus sailed away in the boat, there were still people along the bank. Every single person was not prayed over, healed, or touched. Many were still there. Is that as huge to you as it is to me? I can actually give myself permission (gulp!) to nap when there is still work to be done!
I think I’ll sleep on that one.
{Here’s the corrected link from last week’s teaching on Mark: http://fbcsiloam.podbean.com/2013/10/28/ladies-bible-study-mark-lesson-9-laura-macfarlan-10-24-13/ }
Also — thought you might enjoy this week’s WMU blog:
http://www.wmu.com/index.php?q=blog/adults/team-blog/wmu-can-partner-wm-women%E2%80%99s-ministry
