Reflecting on Mark 6:31
by Rev. Dr. John Hinkle, Jr., RDM Past President
"Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
Mark 6:31 (NIV)
A couple of weeks ago, I was working myself through the Gospel of Mark. I have always told my congregation that Mark is a man of few words. He tells the story of Jesus as he sees it, weeding out any fluff and sticking to the facts that he finds essential to proclaim the Good News. Because of this, the Gospel of Mark is compact, with each chapter being condensed with story after story. Take Chapter 6.
Have you read Chapter 6 lately? It is filled with one major, life-changing event after another. Here is a run-down of the major events covered in this chapter.
Jesus preaches before his hometown synagogue - Mark 6:1-6
Jesus sends out the 12 - Mark 6:7-13
John the Baptist is beheaded - Mark 6:14-29
Jesus feeds five thousand - Mark 6:30-44
Jesus walks on water - Mark 6:45-56
I think we would all admit that this is, if anything, a busy progression of events in the life of Jesus. I am already tired just reading through the chapter; and from my reading, it is clear that Jesus and his disciples are tired, too. After the disciples got back from being sent out, we read in verse 31, "because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he [Jesus] said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Mark tells us that Jesus and the disciples got in a boat to go to the other side, only when they arrived, a crowd had already gathered waiting for them.
I get that Jesus did not get the rest he wanted, but I have always sensed that the boat ride over to the other side was the rest both he and the disciples needed. The text reminds us that if we follow Jesus into this world, rest is a vital act for such a witness. Over the past two years, as the church has had to figure out how a congregation congregates in light of Covid, we have reinvented how we live out the ministry of Jesus Christ in this world. I don't know about you, but I have found myself both physically and mentally exhausted throughout this journey. So what have I done to stay whole? I have learned to nap.
That is right. I nap or to put like the Gospel of Mark - I find rest. I used to think a nap was just about sleep. In kindergarten, I hated nap time. I will also admit that when I started napping during the pandemic, I was not very good at it, but I have become pretty good at mastering this practice through time and trial. I have learned that a good nap is meant to provide rest for both your body and spirit. My napping posture is pretty simple. I lie flat on my back, close my eyes, and breathe in deeply seven times. Sometimes during my nap, I will fall asleep. Other times I will just lie still. But most importantly, during my nap, I find what is so often missing in this world - I find rest.
This is the promise of the Sabbath: by keeping it holy through setting aside time simply to be and to be with God, we will find rest in the Lord. The rest that comes only from time with him is what we need as we enter and give thanks for each new day.
