Exhausted?

July 28, 2021 (Wednesday)

 

Ever feel like God is asking you to do something beyond your ability or understanding? Don’t feel bad, I am tempted to think this was life with Jesus. The good part is we are never left helpless.

 

Let’s jump into one such story. We start in Mark 6:34, “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.” [NLT] Jesus intention, after a long ministry tour, was for the disciples to rest (see verse 31).

 

There is some serious theology in that idea alone. Jesus had sent out the twelve and they expended a lot of energy proclaiming repentance, casting out demons, and healing the sick (see verse 13). Adding to the physical and emotional toll of that mission, the death of “John the Baptist” is sandwiched into this chapter. My suspicion is this is when the disciples learned about John’s death.

 

Imagine heading off on vacation and finding people who need you to minister to them.  Jesus does not back down from the challenge. Compassion is driving Jesus’ ministry. After a long day, the disciples ask Jesus to, “Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.” [Mark 6:36 NLT] Imagine the exhaustion, the shock, and the totally drained bone weary disciples. I can imagine they asked this as more of a plea than a suggestion.

 

They were met with, “But Jesus said, “You feed them.” [Mark 6:37a NLT] I’m guessing this is the last thing they wanted to hear. I doubt it was anything they could even imagine Jesus would say at this point. After all wasn’t Jesus point for this trip was for them to rest?

 

I can see their shocked reaction, “With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!” [Mark 6:37b NLT] This meal, just for the bread, would cost 200 “denarii” or about 8 months of wages. I don’t know if they had that in the purse at this point or not.

 

Jesus then teaches them, and us, a lesson about resources. “How much bread do you have?” he asked. “Go and find out.” They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.” [Mark 6:38 NLT] With those meager resources, not just food, but also physical and emotional energy available… Jesus then proceeds to feed crowd of 5,000 men and their families.

 

Then there is a final twist to this story. After the meal, the disciples are tasked with clean up. We read, “and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.” [Mark 6:43 NLT] They had just watched Jesus turn little into an eat all you can buffet with leftovers. What did they do with the left overs? Did Jesus also multiply their energy and emotional level?

 

I wonder if they got any rest because Jesus insisted they get into a boat to cross the lake. They end up struggling against the storm all night. Exhausted, in the shock of mourning, they encountered the One who created all things in an unexpected way.

 

Mark’s tag line to the story is, “That’s because they hadn’t understood about the loaves. Their minds had been closed so that they resisted God’s ways.” [Mark 6:52 CEB] Other translations say, “their hearts were hardened.”

 

Don’t miss God at work because you are physically or emotionally exhausted.