7-17-18 - What Was That About Rest?

(You can listen to this reflection here. Sunday's gospel passage is here.)

Yesterday I wrote about how Jesus invited his disciples to come away and rest after their first mission trip. I spoke of the importance of balancing work and rest, ministry and spiritual refreshment. When we left the story, they had gone off, “in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.”

Well, they didn’t get very far. People, seeing where they were to land, got there ahead of them: Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he 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.

Jesus had the right instinct about the need for his disciples to recharge their batteries, but he gave priority to the need he saw around him. He was moved by the fact that these people would run around the lake while he was crossing it, just to catch his teaching and receive his healing. That told him they were hungry for spiritual leadership and feeding, “sheep without a shepherd,” and he yielded to their need, deferring his own need for retreat.

Was Jesus teaching, and modeling, good self-care? Clergy are constantly reminded about the importance of honoring a day off each week as Sabbath time, a continuous 24-hour period not to engage in the work of ministry. There’s good reason for those warnings – for generations, clergy made themselves available 24/7, to the detriment of their own health and families’ well-being. Clergy misconduct is often rooted in poor boundaries, being “on duty” all the time and then feeling entitled to a little extra compensation, whether in the form of an inappropriate relationship or financial “perks.” The same thing can happen with lay ministers who overdo and don’t take time apart to nurture their spirits.

So, should we do what Jesus says, “Come away and rest awhile,” or what he does, putting first the needs around us? The answer is, “Be guided by the Spirit.” Clearly, Jesus was moved to defer his plans for retreat and address the challenges before him. We know by what follows in this story, the feeding of the 5,000 and walking on water (omitted in the lectionary this week), that he is being led by the Spirit the whole way.

And after the feeding is over, he returns to Plan A: Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray.

If you’re in a season where you’re being called to give and give in ministry (I’m not talking about plain old over-working here…), be sure to plan some time to rest and recharge. And if that plan gets blown away, make another. Sooner or later, the balance must be restored. But before that well-deserved retreat comes, you just might find yourself sustained by the Spirit, feeding thousands and walking on water.

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