Loving God, there are times when you invite us to come away with you and rest awhile.  Renew us in body, mind and spirit as we gather together today, empowering us by your Spirit, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

            Do any of you ever have so many things going on that you can’t deal with them all?... Depending on what kind of work you do, you might have a job where the work is never done.  Those of you who are students might find yourselves juggling work and school and church and social life and other activities.  Those who are parents or grandparents or who look after other family members might sometimes have way too many things that need attention. And even those who have a home or a trailer or a boat or a car will have things that always need your attention and need to be done.

         Most of the time, when we are feeling healthy and energetic, we are able to deal with the demands on our time and attention.  However, every so often it all gets to be too much, which is precisely what was going on for Jesus and his disciples in today’s gospel.

         All in all, things had been pretty hectic lately.  The disciples had just come back from a bit of a mission trip where they had proclaimed the kingdom of God and had cast out demons in Jesus’ name and had anointed the sick and healed them.  At the same time, John the Baptist had just been put to death, which had an impact on both Jesus and his disciples – some of whom knew John the Baptist very well. And, while they were trying to deal with these things, they were surrounded by people all the time and were having trouble even finding time to eat.

         It is for all of these reasons that Jesus tells them to “come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while” (Mk. 6:31).  So they hop into a boat and head across the lake to a wilderness camp. However, when they arrive at the camp, there is a crowd of people standing on the beach, waiting for them. All of the people have come to see Jesus, for they saw which way the boat was headed, and hurried around the lake on foot.

         So if you are Jesus, what are you going to do?  You have come to this place because you and your disciples desperately need a retreat, and yet, here are all of these people who need you.  Some of us might have been tempted to get right back into that boat and go somewhere else.  However, Jesus – being who he is – has compassion for these crowds of people who are just like sheep without a shepherd.  And so he teaches them “many things” (Mk. 6:34).

         Jesus also feeds them, which is a part of the story that we didn’t hear today, and then he sends the disciples across the lake in the boat while he goes up to the summit to pray. This time spent alone in prayer serves as the renewal that Jesus needs.  The disciples, on the other hand, get to witness two miracles.  They see more than 5000 people fed from five loaves of bread and two fish, and later they see Jesus walking across the water towards their boat, before he gets into the boat with them.  They may not have gotten their time alone with Jesus, but they are continuing to find out who their teacher really is and what the power of God can do.

         Then, at the end of the chapter, which we did hear today, it is back to the salt mines.  Their boat comes to shore at Gennesaret, and once again they are surrounded by people who need Jesus.  This time, there are many people who need healing.  And so they rush around, gathering up all of the sick people they can find, and bring them all to Jesus.  And even those who simply touch the fringe of his cloak are healed.

         One of the ways to approach a story like this in the gospels is to ask the question, “Who are you in this story?”  Are you one of the disciples who have been trying to learn from Jesus, and have been out there in the community doing ministry, and are all worn out from grief and fear and from the constant demands of the people around you?... Or, are you one of the people who need Jesus so much that they would follow him all the way to the other side of the lake just to listen to him?... Or maybe you are one of the people who needs healing and who just wants to reach out and touch the fringe of his cloak in order to be healed….  Or maybe your experience is similar to that of Jesus, and needy people seem to surround you everywhere you go….  In each case, there is a message for you in this story.

         For those who know how much they need Jesus, there is a reminder here of Jesus’ love and compassion for all those in need, as well as his ability to teach us and to feed us and to heal us.  As the song says, cast your burdens onto Jesus, for he cares for you.

         At the same time, this is a helpful story for those who are feeling worn out, or over-burdened, or frazzled.  Everybody, including Jesus and his disciples, sometimes needs a break.  And sometimes, when you try to take a break, there are things that follow you and that demand your attention.  Sometimes these are things that can wait and that you can push to the side until you are ready to deal with them.  However, other times (as with Jesus), there are situations that demand immediate attention and cannot wait until later.  At these times, we draw on our inner reserves and on the power of God in order to look after those immediate concerns, and then we take the time with God in order to pray and to be renewed in the Spirit.  For none of us, as people of faith, can keep going without this time for renewal.

         May this time and this place be a source of such renewal for you, and may “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, …guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7).  Amen.

Pentecost 9B                                                Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

July 22, 2018

Luther Village

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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