Too Busy

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. (Mark 6:45-52 ESV). There is a wonderful phrase in the middle of our reading today. Mark writes that Jesus “meant to pass them by.” Remember the context of the story. Jesus was exhausted, completely worn out from dealing with people and their problems. He had been teaching all day, healing the sick, and what He needed was a rest. He got away to spend some time alone with God. Knowing that he was tired, he sent his disciples on ahead to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus knew the principle of rest. He knew when he rested and refreshed himself with prayer and meditation, he would be able to respond, to care for them, and meet their needs. He was going to pass them by so he could minister to them more later. We live in a very fast-paced world with great demands on our time, yet no one has ever been busier than Jesus when He walked on this earth. We would do well to learn from Him. When we are tired and frazzled, exhausted and burned out, that is our cue to take some time to be with God. If Jesus needed some time alone with God, surely we do, as well. Let me make some suggestions. First, read the Bible. I mean really read the Bible. Don’t skip around according to the need you feel at the moment. Pick a book, preferably a short epistle first, and really read it. Start at the beginning and read several paragraphs in a sitting. Capture the context and feel for the Scripture. Second, meditate on what you’ve read. Reflect and to ask “what does it mean?” It’s at this point that I might pull out other literature or even commentaries to really dig in and discover the meaning of the passage and section. Third, respond. God has spoken to you and revealed Himself to you. Now it’s your turn to respond to Him. This is often the prayer time for most people. Jesus was the busiest man who has ever lived. Yet, he was never too busy. He accomplished more than anyone did before or since his time here. That’s a great example for us to follow. Don’t get too busy this holiday season.