Resting is important for all (Mark 6:30-32)

The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught.  Then Jesus said, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile."  He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his disciples didn't even have time to eat.

So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.

The word 'apostles' means messenger or called ones.  This is what the disciples of Jesus were.  They had been vey busy speaking and healing people and meeting their needs and that can become tiring in itself.

So Jesus recognized immediately the need for rest for himself and for his disciples.  Even Jesus got tired while here on earth because he was in a physical body and our body get tired.  

So it's important to recognize in ourselves the early stages of tiredness and leave a certain place for a change of scenery.  My wife and I just celebrated our 32nd Anniversary yesterday and we are also taking advantage of the Canadian wilderness to go camping for the weekend.  So this will be my only post for the weekend as we enjoy it.

I encourage you to listen to the Holy Spirit as well and when it's time to rest don't postpone it.

Unfortunately, Jesus and his disciples had no place to go to lay their heads and the next verse says in verse 33-34  "But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them.  Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.  So he began teaching them many things.

Jesus saw the need in people before they did and that is what compassion sees.  Compassion is a spiritual quality that is very rare in humans especially this kind of compassion.

He saw them lost without a shepherd in need of One.  He is the good Shepherd (of all mankind)  (John 10:11)

Have a great weekend