Our Gospel lesson begins by saying that “the apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught.”
You will remember two weeks ago, Jesus had called the twelve together. He gave them authority over unclean spirits, and then sent them out two by two.
Now as the former classroom teacher, I have one of those questions about this reading which might not be everyone’s question. In the Culver math department, we had a difference of opinion about how we form student groups to work on projects. I am always interested to see how Jesus deals with pedagogical issues. How did he pick the pairs? I operate on the Ed Little philosophy myself. This would be Ed Little the Director of Horsemanship and Not Ed Little the bishop.
It seems that polo players can’t have a favorite pony. They have to be able to get on any of the ponies and play. According to Ed, if you can only play polo on one pony, you are not much of a polo player.
In my math classes, I used a similar plan. Students were assigned randomly, and they get changed once a project is over. This is not what the experts say you should do. Groups are supposed to be devised carefully and intentionally.
This is a discussion I have had with my colleagues, but the question for me this morning is “What did Jesus do?” There are apostles like Thaddeus who don’t get any lines in the Gospels. He may have just been a quiet guy, but maybe he was just paired with someone like Peter and never got a word in edgewise. How about John and James, the “sons of thunder” Did Jesus split them up?
Here is another question I can’t help but wonder. Who got stuck with Judas? He was one of the twelve, and Jesus knew he was the one would betray him. That would be a tough one later for someone.
Using whatever method, Jesus paired the apostles and sent them out two by two. Mark tells us that they were highly successful. They preached the Gospel, cast out many demons, and cured many sick people. They had to have been excited to tell Jesus everything that had happened.
The apostles made their reports, and things finally quieted down. Then Jesus said:
“Come away to a deserted place
all by yourselves
and rest a while.”
The apostles were excited and happy, but Jesus could see that they were also tired and hungry. Mark, who wrote this story, says that the apostles hadn’t even had time to eat. So they got in their boat and went to a deserted place where they could be alone and rest.
But Jesus wasn’t the first to realize that we need to rest. God the Father knew that from the very beginning. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. On the first day, he said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
On each of the first six days, God spoke something into existence––but then:
“God rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done.”
Did God rest because God was exhausted? I believe that God rested on the seventh day to show us how it’s done. He was modeling good behavior.
Later, When he gave Moses the Ten Commandments, God did more than model behavior. He made it a commandment. He said:
“Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work.
But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God;
you shall not do any work––
you, your son or your daughter,
your male or female slave,
your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns.
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
but rested the seventh day;
therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day
and consecrated it.”
That’s a long commandment. It is three verses and 89 words in English. Think of some of the other commandments:
- “You shall not murder”––one verse––four words.
- “You shall not commit adultery”––one verse––five words.
- “You shall not steal”––one verse––four words.
But when it came to sabbath-rest, God used three verses and 89 words. Why? I think that most people understand that murder is wrong. There are plenty of people who are not so inclined to keep one day as holy to the Lord.
Observant Jews still take this sabbath commandment seriously. Susan told about visiting Jerusalem. She said the hotel on the Dead Sea had a “Shabbat Elevator.” It stopped at every floor and the door opened. This is so that observant Jews would not have to work by pushing the button for the floor. Orthodox communities are located within walking distance of synagogue because they are not allowed to drive.
It strikes us as little odd perhaps that not working on the sabbath rises to this level of importance. We need some time that we mark as holy time. We need to take time to worship and to thank God.
So Jesus sent his twelve apostles on a mission––preaching, casting out demons, and healing. When they returned, he first heard their report. Then he said:
“Come away to a deserted place
all by yourselves
and rest a while.”
“And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.”
Their rest, however, was temporary––very temporary. People saw where they were going, and hurried to get there. Word spread like wildfire, and people came from all around. The people got there before Jesus and his apostles did, so it was not exactly the rest the apostles were expecting.
I want you to notice something, and I think it’s important. Listen to the last verse in this section. It says:
“As (Jesus) went ashore, he saw a great crowd;
and he had compassion for them,
because they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.”
Here is the interesting thing. That verse says nothing about the apostles. Jesus was doing all the work. Jesus saw the crowd. Jesus had compassion on them. Jesus began to teach them. The apostles got to rest, enjoy listening to Jesus teach and keep the time holy
My takeaways are these.
- Rest is more important than we think.
- Rest may not be what we think.
- It is God’s will that we take a break, enjoy things and keep them holy.
I have said these words in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sermon preached by Fr. Tom at St. Thomas, Plymouth
July 19, 2015; Eighth Sunday of Pentecost
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Psalm 23
Ephesians 2:11-22
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56