Come Away... Rest a While - Mark 6:30-34

Come Away... Rest a While - Mark 6:30-34 

In 2002 Norah Jones released a song called “Come away with me”

Come away with me in the night
Come away with me
And I will write you a song

Come away with me on a bus
Come away where they can't tempt us, with their lies
And I want to walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high

So won't you try to come
Come away with me and we'll kiss
On a mountaintop

Come away with me
And I'll never stop loving you
And I want to wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin roof
While I'm safe there in your arms

So all I ask is for you
To come away with me in the night
Come away with me

In our Gospel passage today, the context is different, but Jesus words to his disciples in verse 31 echo the words of Norah Jones (or perhaps it should be said it is the other way around), Norah Jones words echo the words of Jesus to his disciples: “Come away with me... and rest a while”

They are words that help emphasize how important it is that we should make time to re-charge our batteries. 

Jesus’ invitation to the disciples to come away with him and rest a while comes straight after two significant passages in Mark’s Gospel. Firstly it comes after the passage where Jesus sends out the 12. Secondly, it comes after the news that John the Baptist has been beheaded. 

In response to the disciples missionary journey, Jesus points out the need for them to rest and to be recharged. Jesus is in touch with their humanity and his own. He is not a slave driver. He is concerned about their well-being.  He knows that it is not possible to keep on keeping on without a break. He is in tune with the rhythm of life. There is a time to work and a time for rest. There is a time to be out engaging with the world, and there is a time for retreating from the world. 

There is a time to come away. 

Even computers need to defrag once in a while. And if we never take out cars in for a service they no longer run efficiently. 

This is true even of Jesus. In this passage, we encounter something of Jesus own humanity. He has just received news of the death of John the Baptist. Jesus needs to take time out in order to sit with his pain and his grief. 

It is a reminder that grief is not something we can escape. The only way out is through.  A hospice nurse once said that grieving is like digging through a mountain with a teaspoon. And there are no short-cuts to the other side of the mountain. 

Jesus draws aside to sit with his pain and grief at the loss of his cousin John. He does not try to avoid it. 

It is a reminder that we too have inner work that we all need to do that cannot be avoided. 

Secondly we see that even with Jesus his plans can go awry. 

While Jesus is making plans to get away, the crowds are making plans to find Jesus.  In verse 32-33 we read that Jesus and the disciples left by boat for a quiet place where they could be alone. 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. 

It all sounds a little bit like the paparazzi. 

Imagine wanting to get away for the weekend and when you arrive at your destination your clients are waiting for you in the hotel lobby! 

Jesus’ response is quite remarkable and reveals that there was something remarkable about him. It reveals his enormous capacity for compassion. 

We read in verse 34 that when Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. 

The Greek word in the passage for compassion refers to being moved in one’s gut. While he Hebrew word for compassion is taken from the root word rechem, which means womb. Both words suggest that Jesus is moved and touched in the depth of his being. There is a maternal instinct in Jesus. It is as though Jesus considers each of those in the crowd as though they were his own off-spring, his own children. They are part of the circle of Jesus love. 

Though most of us might have been tempted to tell the crowds off or to send them away, Jesus reaches out to them in love and compassion. There were plenty of other religious teachers like the Pharisees, who told the crowds that they were unclean and not good enough for God.  Jesus expresses God’s heart of love where all are embraced and included. 

And he is particularly concerned about them because he describes them as being sheep without a shepherd.  This is a phrase that can be found in multiple places in the Old Testament and refers to the failure of the of true leadership in Israel… the leaders of Israel, both secular and religious care for themselves more than for the well-being of their people. And in response to this failure in Israel’s leaders, Jesus steps in to respond with compassion as a true shepherd of the people should. 

Getting back to the theme of rest, the passage beautifully illustrates the need for balance in our lives between self-care and selfless service. Jesus acknowledges the disciples' need for rest (together with his own need for rest) and makes an intentional effort to withdraw from the demands of their ministry. This moment highlights the importance of recognizing our limitations and the necessity of taking time to recharge and renew our spirits.

Yet, when faced with the pressing needs of the crowd, Jesus is moved by compassion. He does not ignore their plight; instead, he responds with compassion. This response shows that while self-care is crucial, there are times when compassion calls us to go beyond our comfort and convenience to serve others.

How do we find this balance in our own lives? In a world that often glorifies busyness and productivity, it is easy to neglect self-care. We may feel guilty for taking time for ourselves, fearing that we are being selfish or lazy. However, this passage reminds us that rest is not a luxury but a necessity. Just as Jesus called his disciples to rest, we too must heed the call to take care of our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

On the other hand, our call to serve and show compassion remains ever-present. We live in a world where the needs are great, and the cries for help are many.  Our challenge is to learn how respond to these needs without neglecting our own.

What are some practical steps we might take to help us to achieve this kind of balance: 

Firstly, to schedule regular times for rest.  We all need to make rest a regular part of our routine. Whether it's a daily quiet time, a weekly Sabbath, or using one’s annual leave wisely, iwe all need to make sure that we don’t run on empty and we have enough fuel in our tank to respond with kindness and compassion to the needs and responsibilities of life.

Secondly, listen to your body and your spirit. Pay attention to signs of fatigue, stress, and burnout. Be honest with yourself about your limits and take necessary breaks.

Thirdly, set healthy boundaries:  There is a time to say yes, but there is also a time for saying no. 

Fourthly making time for prayer and meditation: Jesus in the Gospels regularly makes time for prayer and stillness.  His example encourages us to engage in practices that enable us to remain centred and to connect with our inner selves and the Divine.  Such prayer is not just about using words. There is a time when our words need to come to an end and we hear God’s invitation to rest into the stillness of God’s presence and love. 

And so, when are the demands of life weigh heavily on us, and the needs and sufferings of others become an irritation and a burden to us, may we make time to rest so that we have enough spiritual fuel within to respond to others with  compassion.  May we respond to the invitation of Jesus “Come away with me and rest a while”. Amen.