Gathered Around the Compassionate Jesus

7th Sunday after Pentecost

Mark 6:30-34; Ephesians 2:11-22

Beginning this morning, the lectionary camps out in the 6th chapter of Mark and then the 6th chapter of John for the next six weeks. So we have some time to get a little more nitty-gritty with the text and the stories.

I like it when the lectionary does this – lets us spend a little quality time with one of the gospel writers.

Whenever that happens, I start to look for “the point” of each particular lesson. The likelihood that the gospel and the epistle have something to do with one another increases, and that’s helpful to an old preacher. Today’s gospel lesson grabs vs. 30-34, and then jumps ahead to vv. 53-56. In between those passages, Jesus feeds the five thousand, and then walks on the water. We get those stories later. For now, we look at the bookends to the stories.

A little more context – prior to this week’s gospel lessons we have the story of Jesus sending out the 12 in pairs, and the beheading of John the Baptist. The John the Baptist story starts to put things in perspective, and then the disciples return from their little “mission trip” and report to Jesus what happened and what they were able to accomplish – kind of a debriefing. That’s where we pick up the gospel for this morning.

I always look for something in the text that jumps out at me. Maybe I need it right now, but that phrase “the apostles gathered around Jesus” spoke volumes to me this week.

I hope that’s what happens to you each week when you come to worship. It’s what happens to me – I feel like I’ve gathered up to Jesus, and I’m waiting to see what He has to say. This week, His message is rest. “Take a break. Step away for a little while. Take some rest for your soul, and recoup just a little.”

We’ve been having to do that this week - with this oppressive heat and all. You’d work a little while, and then retreat to the air conditioning. Friday’s temperatures were a welcome break – I waited until Friday to mow. While we were at camp this week, we would walk or ride from one building to the other, and then while the boys expended a little of their limitless energy, I’d sit and experience the quiet and the cool for just a few minutes before I moved to the next assignment. I hope it’s not an age thing . . .

But this was something different that Jesus was suggesting to the disciples. Ministry requires some time away to recoup. Jesus was the master. As you read the gospels, we find that Jesus would move effortlessly between engagement and disengagement. He would move into a ministry situation, and then move away to take a little rest – have a little quiet time to Himself. He knew the value of the well timed rest. Now He’s trying to teach the disciples something of the same, because the crowds are evidently starting to take a toll on the apostles just like they did on Jesus.

Several years ago – well, really more than 20 years ago now – I was serving on staff of a rather large church in Dallas – Casa View Baptist. One summer we took a mission trip to Minnesota. I was about 25, and we were taking more than 40 adults on this particular trip. Two of the other staff members and I flew up there in advance of our trip to look things over and make plans and arrangements. Two days before the trip began, I was called up to the church for an emergency meeting. Our Minister of Music, who was heading up the trip, had gone to the doctor the previous day and discovered that he had cancer – and would be entering the hospital the day after we left on the trip. So the leadership of the trip was handed over to me, and the pastor assured me that he would be along for support. On the way from Dallas to Minnesota, we spent the night in St. Louis, and after checking into the hotel, the group went over to the stadium to watch a baseball game.

I remember thinking that this was odd – taking time off while we were on a mission trip. But as I reflect back on that experience, and so many other mission trips over the years which have allowed for the same kind of time off, I realize the value of this movement away from the task at hand to take a little rest.

Jesus did this so very well, and now He is trying to teach His disciples to do the same. I see a difference, though. When Jesus stepped away for a little while, he seemed to really step away – He went off by Himself, and never really invited the others to come along. Now, His advice to the apostles is that they gather away with Him in seclusion. That’s the difference for us – we take our respite, but we take it with Jesus.

Here’s why. Jesus is, for us, a source of compassion. You know Chelsea has a new job – working out at the Enid Senior Care as their Social Services director and Activities Director. It’s really designed to be two jobs, but when client count is low, often one person has to take on both jobs, and that’s the way it is right now. Due to three recent deaths, the client count is a bit lower. Each of these deaths has impacted Chelsea, but she’s handled things well. I told her the other day that she’s going to have to learn how to practice empathy rather than sympathy, or these deaths would really wear on her. I told her that she needed some separation from her work when she went home at night. She said something like “Hey, kettle – this is pot – you’re black . . .”

Truth is, ministry is tough. When you minister, you give away something of yourself. Bottom line – you can’t continue to give and give without taking time to replenish. Jesus knew this. His disciples needed to know. We need to know.

Another thing - when you minister, and do it well, more and more people want you to minister to them. The disciples were starting to run into this problem. When they started out, the crowds weren’t all that large. Now people were everywhere. Just as soon as they heeded Jesus’ advice and took off across the lake, the crowd figured out what they were doing and followed them over there, and by the time they got there, there were more than 5000 (just counting the men – the actual number could have been quite a bit larger) – and they were hungry to boot. Later, they slip back across the lake, and when they arrive, more people mob them – all of them needing help. Sometimes, ministry is tough.

I am developing an early friendship with a pastor I’ve met through the Internet. This week we conversed through a couple of e-mails, and in his last e-mail to me, he said something quite helpful to me at the time. He said, “Take good care of yourself, man. It is a tough road for us sometimes. You are in my prayers. Our salvation is only assured by the kindness of a God who wishes us all saved. But he asks for much. The least we can do is pray for one another.”

We gather around the compassionate Jesus. We gather around Him because of Who He is. He is our God – in the flesh – and He loves us – more than we can possibly love ourselves. He knows our weaknesses, and so He bestows compassion on us. It is in His chosen nature to show compassion to those who are in need of nurture, rest, help, comfort, and renewed resources for the journey.

Did you notice the action that Jesus took when He showed compassion? He taught them. He and the boys in the band had stepped aside for a little rest, and they were interrupted by this throng of people. Mark’s words reflect on the lack of leadership the people experienced from their earthly king, Herod. He said, “for they were like sheep without a shepherd.” How disappointing our earthly leaders often are. They offer grand promises of success and freedom and opportunity and profit, only to deliver to us more work for less pay and longer hours. But Jesus – Jesus offers us something greater than we can imagine. Jesus offers us the compassion of greater resources for the journey. He offers us knowledge that will equip us for more effective service and for a greater appreciation of what He has given us in this world.

Let’s shift our attention for a moment to the epistle. Turn back over with me to Ephesians 2. There in v. 14, Paul says, “For he is our peace.” And then in v. 17, he says, “So He came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.” The context of Paul’s teaching is in reference to the alienation between Jews and Gentiles in relation to God’s offering of salvation. But the larger implication of this idea that Jesus is our peace, and that He offers peace to us is huge to us.

Like much of the world, I have been watching the events unfold during this past week in the Middle East. I was 10 years old and in Vacation Bible School June 5 – 10, 1967, and remember watching what has come to be called the six day war between Israel and Egypt. Hardly a year has gone by in those last 39 years in which saber rattling has not occurred in that region, often resulting in increased violence and bloodshed. Over these 40 years, our ears have virtually become numb to reports of conflict in the Middle East – we’ve come to expect it.

We see conflict in other parts of the world. Constant watchfulness in Asia, Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and much of Central and South America. Conflict all around us – almost constantly.

We long for peace. We long for the peace that Jesus promises and gives. We long for our world to know the peace of Christ which we have experienced in our lives. We know that the solution to the resolution of human suffering and bondage, wars and conflicts, social struggle and unrest, can be found in the peace that Jesus promises and gives to those who will gather away with Him for a little rest.

We long for peace. We know where to find God’s peace. He is our peace. He gives us peace.

Richard W. Dunn, PhD.