“Come Aside and Rest with Jesus”
(Mark 6:30-34 – Pentecost 9 – July 21, 2024)
Mark 6:30-34 – 30Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31And 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. 32So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. 33But 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. 34And 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.
Dear Redeemed in Jesus Christ, who rest your souls in His:
This time of year, many people go on vacation hoping to get away from it all and get much-needed rest. They head for their destination with eager anticipation that says, “Are we there yet?” They may have a great time going places, visiting loved ones, doing fun things. But sometimes, after all the excitement and travel, they feel worn out, and return home with that kind of exhaustion that says, “Now I need vacation from vacation! I need time to rest before getting back to the daily grind!”
In Matthew 11:28 Jesus invites us: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” The rest He gives is not the short-lived kind one might seek in getting away from it all in this world. Jesus invites us to rest our souls in the forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life He won for us; and to rest our souls in His daily loving care. So let us “Come Aside and Rest with Jesus.” As we see in today’s text, 1) He offers rest to His weary disciples, and 2) He offers rest to the many lost souls.
1) He offers rest to His weary disciples
Jesus offers rest to His weary disciples. They needed time off after working hard in His service. Jesus had just sent them out two by two on a mission trip through Galilee. He had given them power to cast out demons and heal the sick. He had sent them to preach a message of repentance and salvation in His name (Mark 6:7-13). Now it says: “Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them, ‘Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while’” (vs. 30-31).
They needed more than just physical rest. They needed time to unload what was on their hearts and minds – both good news and bad news. For sure, there was excitement about the mission just completed. It had been thrilling to see the power of the Gospel at work as the Holy Spirit brought people to repentance and faith, and to see people healed by Jesus’ power. But at the same time, the work could be difficult. In sending them out, Jesus had warned about people not always receiving their message kindly. No doubt, at times they had experienced rejection and had to shake the dust off their feet and move on (Mark 6:11). And Jesus had warned that, as they continued to preach His Gospel, they could expect persecution, imprisonment, and even death (Matthew 10:16-39). In fact, before our text they just heard the shocking news that John the Baptist was beheaded by King Herod. The disciples realized that if such a faithful preacher had paid such a price for preaching the truth, so might they.
So the disciples needed time to rest, recharge, and share their mutual burdens. But it says: “There were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.” So Jesus invited them to come aside with Him, to get away from it all and rest a while. “So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves” (vs. 31-32).
As Jesus’ disciples, how often do we deal with ups and downs of life that leave us drained – physically, emotionally, spiritually? Sometimes we start off excited about a new mission or purpose in life. We have good intentions and eagerly anticipate success; but then things turn for the worse, and we find ourselves facing disappointment and grief. Perhaps we share the good news of Jesus’ forgiveness and salvation with someone we care about; but then we find ourselves facing rejection and heartbreak. Life is going along happily; but then we hear the heartbreaking news of bad health or the loss of a loved one, and we find ourselves facing fears and sorrows. When we face difficult or painful times, we may feel the need to get away from it all and rest.
In many ways, life in this sin-fallen world leaves us weary and burdened in body, mind, and soul. It burdens us to see the ways society is declining. It burdens us to hear bad news of evil winning the day. It tires us to live as pilgrims journeying through this strange land, not yet home. Sometimes we want to get away from it all.
Jesus cares for us the same as those first disciples. He knows we need rest. Sometimes it means withdrawing to a remote place on vacation. Sometimes it means taking time off from regular activities to process the grief we have experienced. Sometimes it means taking time to recuperate from injury or illness. Our Savior is with us wherever we go, to give His healing for our hearts and His rest for our souls.
The burden that weighs heaviest on our heart and soul is our sin. How often hasn’t even our search for rest been mixed with sinful motives? We want to get away from it all, but for selfish reasons – because we don’t want to serve others in our daily calling. We want to get away from it all, but for reasons of lack of faith – because we don’t trust God is working it all out right, and we’re running away. We want to get away from it all, but for reasons of self-pity – because we think we deserve better than the life God is giving. When we manage to “get away,” carrying such selfish and sinful attitudes with us, is it any wonder that we come back still feeling weary and burdened?
Simply going to a remote place does not give our souls needed rest. Even the most serene landscapes of the world cannot lift the burden of sin from our heart and give us peace. The most pristine scenes cannot refresh our sin-weary souls with eternal hope. What is important as Jesus’ disciples is not just that we get away, but that we come aside and rest with Jesus and in Him.
As Jesus and the disciples “departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves,” what do you suppose they talked about? Surely, Jesus provided a listening ear as they unloaded their burdens on Him. And He answered with His heart-lifting words of eternal life. He assured them of His forgiveness. He assured them that, by faith in Him, they lived as beloved children of God. He assured them that He would be with them wherever they went, working everything out for their good. And He assured them that one day they would enjoy His never-ending heavenly rest.
Likewise today, Jesus invites us to come aside and rest with Him. What a privilege we have to be refreshed by His life-giving, soul-renewing Word and Sacraments! What a privilege we have to communicate with our loving Savior, as He speaks in His Word and we respond in our prayers. Jesus gives us His full, undivided attention, as we unload our burdens on Him. And He is willing to take it all from us; for He came into the world to bear our griefs and carry our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4). He bore our sin and guilt away to the cross. Now He gives true rest to our souls in His gracious words of reassurance: “Take heart, I forgive all your sins. Be at rest, I give you peace with God. Take comfort, I am watching over your life and working everything out for your good. Rejoice, I am preparing for you a heavenly rest beyond your greatest dreams!”
2) He offers rest to the many lost souls
Here, the disciples who came aside to rest with Jesus were renewed to serve Him. There was much work to be done, as they saw while still in the boat with Jesus. As it says: “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” (vs. 33). So on arriving at their remote destination, it was not long until their new mission began.
Earthly rest is not perpetual. Jesus does not call His disciples to idleness. When our Lord grants us time off from work, days of vacation, or even years of retirement, it is not an end in itself. If there was no more work to be done in His Kingdom, Jesus would simply take us from this world to His heavenly rest. But as it is, He provides rest and renewal so that we may serve Him anew in the plans He has for us. As we come aside with Jesus to rest our souls in His Word of salvation and eternal life, we are renewed to reach out with Him and share His rest with lost souls around us.
This is how the scene continues: “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” (vs. 34). Other Gospel accounts add that Jesus healed many people (Matthew 14:14; Luke 9:11). Then after our text He put His disciples to work, helping to feed the thousands gathered in that remote place. As Jesus miraculously provided food from five loaves of bread and two fish, the disciples joyfully distributed to all as much as they wanted (Mark 6:35-44).
Today, Jesus still sees many souls around us who are like sheep without a Shepherd. Many are seeking rest for their sin-weary souls in the vacation lands of this world. They go with eager anticipation, hoping to get away from the burdens of life in the short-lived escapes and pleasures of this world. But again and again, they come back weary and unsatisfied, as if to say: “Are we there yet?” Apart from Christ, they do not know where they are going. Our compassionate Savior does not want even one soul to perish. He wants to teach them many things. He wants to feed their hungry souls with His words of eternal life and hope. He wants to bring them true healing and rest from lives affected by sin and grief.
We who have received our Savior’s gracious rest can share His compassion. We can say: “Take heart, dear soul burdened with guilt. Jesus has taken away all your sins on the cross. Rest in His forgiveness and peace. Take heart, dear soul burdened with the griefs and sorrows of life. Jesus has conquered death to give you eternal life. Rest in His daily loving care for you. Rejoice in the heavenly rest He is preparing for you, beyond your greatest dreams.”
We are not there yet; but most importantly, we are with Jesus. Each day of our earthly journey, let us come aside and rest with Him. Let us cast all our burdens on Him and hear His heart-lifting, soul-renewing Word. And let us confidently pray:
Jesus, still lead on
Till our rest be won;
Heav’nly Leader, still direct us,
Still support, console, protect us,
Till we safely stand
In our promised land.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.