“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.” — (Mark 6: 31).   

Cities are transient.  Many people come and leave after a while.  Be it church or workplace, University, people are in and out of our lives.  “For many were coming and going.” Just when deep relationships are starting to form, people leave, and we leave too.   Working in a cultural context where there is no concept of sabbath rest can drain us emotionally and spiritually.  We are called to serve God in our vocations.  But we also need Jesus’ invitation to go away “to a desolate place and rest a while.”  Without this rhythm of work, rest and renewal, no one can last for long.  

Going away is not always easy. In Mark’s Gospel, Mark often uses the word “immediately” to describe the sense of gospel urgency. Mark’s Gospel is full of action. But in the same Gospel account, Jesus invites His disciples to rest a while. Christians are called to be living sacrifices (Roms. 12: 1) but not burn-out offerings. There is work to be done today, and there will be many needs awaiting us tomorrow—among this 2nd largest unreached people group. In a culture that finds its worth in productivity, it is easy to hurry, overwork and idolize immediacy in the workplace and church. It is easy to set a pace that the Spirit is not setting.

But Jesus was led by the Spirit. He himself needed times of rest and renewal as He was limited in the flesh.  He needed to get away from ministry busyness to spend unhurried times alone with His Father (Mk. 1: 35, 6: 46).   As people’s demands increased daily, Jesus could see that His disciples were especially exhausted.  So He led them away with Him to rest. Even the renowned prince of preachers once said,

“Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength….It is wisdom to take occasional furlough. In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less….Let no tender conscience doubt the lawfulness of going out of harness for awhile, but learn from the experience of others the necessity and duty of taking timely rest.” –(Charles H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students)

Sabbath rest is not a “holiday or vacation” but intentional rest, away from ministry and work demands, where we are not “doing” but being in Christ.  It is a holistic time of rest, reflection, prayer, recreation and be renewed to re-enter work.

Jesus Himself invites us: “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.”  This invitation is sacred.  It is an invitation to rest deeply in Jesus and trust that He is ever present and working—even when we’re away.  Even when we are at rest, He is working out His will and He is able to provide all that we need.

The essence of religion is: “Work hard to prove yourself.”

But the heart of the Gospel is: “Rest in Jesus’ finished work.”

To learn more on what Sabbath rest is and why it matters watch Sabbath and Gospel Rest from our Gospel Basics Series :-

a) The work for which God made us.

b) The rest for which God made us.

c) The deeper rest Jesus gives to us.

Also read our Work and Rest Rhythms.