Life can get busy. Probably the biggest understatement ever. There is the daily hustle of work, shuffling kids off to school, cooking, cleaning serving your community, your church and we can go on and on. Makes me tired just writing and thinking about it. Some of us enjoy being busy, busy, busy. Yet others have no issue with rest, probably enjoy it too much.

What we find in Jesus is balance. In Mark 6 we read of Jesus sending out the 12 disciples to work. There job is to spread the good news of the kingdom of God. These 12 disciples went out two by two, teaching and casting out demons, healing the sick and loving on people. These guys were so excited about their work that they came back and reported everything to Jesus,

The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. (Mk 6:30)

I am sure Jesus rejoiced in their successes, but what we learn from Christ next is crucial to life, Jesus doesn’t say good job, lets go out and do some more. He doesn’t say well done, but you’re not finished yet. What we need to recognize here is what I like to call Fact #1.

 Fact #1: In this world the work will never be done

There will always be something to do. Something to improve. Something to accomplish. The task sheet will always be filled with new tasks everyday.

But what we learn from Jesus is what I like to call Fact #2

Fact #2: After a time of ministry/work Jesus says rest anyway

And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. (Mk 6:31)

We see in the text, the disciples were busy. They were in the hustle of life doing kingdom work. People were coming and going and they had no time to even enjoy a meal. Now that is busy. So when they return and Jesus hears their stories of what happened, the next lesson he teaches them is on rest.

Jesus provides for them three criteria on rest.

1. Remove yourself from the work. “Come away” was the words he used. Remove yourself from the environment and the temptation to keep on working. Put the work down and go somewhere else. Notice the language he uses “a desolate place” somewhere where you are able to rest and not burden yourself with more work.
2. Bring companions with you. Jesus says “by yourselves” he wasn’t talking alone because he was talking to the 12 disciples. So all them went together to rest.
3. Rest.

What does this mean for us?

1.  Work is important it is the invention of God. God created humanity in a garden and provided him with a job to do. As Christians we should value the importance of work, whether it is in the arena of secular or the church, we should value work. There should be no such thing as a lazy Christian. There is no room for laziness in the Kingdom of God.

2. The same is true on the flip side, being a workaholic is a sin, even if it is ministry. You are not God, you do not hold the world, the church or even your workplace in your hands. There are times when we need to temporarily get away from what is required of us, let go of our grip on work  and rest.

3. Rest is best with solitude and companionship. Last week my wife and I went out for our 24th anniversary, it was just me and her. A Time of solitude, companionship and rest. It was needed and restful. Companionship can mean many things, he can be you and your wife, you and fellow believers, going to a conference of like minded people. But companionship can also mean you spending time with the Lord in the Word, or you spending time with John Piper (or your favorite author) through one of his books.

4. In this world rest is not permanent. Rest does not equal retirement. Notice Jesus told his disciples to come “rest a while”. Meaning they would be required at some point to get up and go back to work.

5. While you are resting be ready for ministry. Don’t exclude divine appointments while you are resting. What we find in the rest of Mark is over 5000 people waiting for Jesus on the shore. Jesus and the 12 disciples set out to rest and rest they did, but the duration of their rest was cut short by the crowd that followed Christ to the shore. Jesus begins teaching them but after this time of teaching he fed them by creating bread and fish, already prepared to eat, from a boy’s 1st century lunchable. Amazing!

Until Next Time

Soli Deo Gloria