Mark 6:30-32 30The apostles gathered to Jesus and reported to him all the things they had done and taught. 31And he said to them, “Come by yourselves privately to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no opportunity to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33Now they saw them going and many recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
There is no time indicator how long or where the twelve apostles had gone out as Jesus directed them in verse 13. What was Mark’s purpose in inserting the story of John the Baptist in the middle of the disciples’ mission? There was something in what happened to John that should be a clue about discipleship and the call to go. That clue is found in verse 14 and the power of Jesus’ name. The apostles had experienced this power firsthand when they went out and preached the gospel. Mark does not give any specific details of their experiences, but it appears that they obeyed Jesus and taught the gospel of the kingdom and healed and cast out demons in Jesus’ name. The power of Jesus had become personal to each one. This mission was an important confirmation of their growing faith.
After they returned from their mission, Jesus called for a retreat for rest. Verse 31 has an important message, especially for those who are involved in ministry. Based on Jesus’ directions in verses 8-9, we can imagine what types of experiences, both good and bad, the apostles went through. If they modeled what Jesus was doing, then they got the same types of responses. Doing good things for the Lord can be exhausting. People can be draining.
The end of verse 31 implies that people had followed the apostles who could not even get away to get something to eat. They would have had little if any food with them except anything people gave them on the journey. They had to rely on the generosity of the places they visited. Jesus had compassion on them and gathered them all on a boat to get away to a quiet place away from the crowds. Rest, quietness, retreat, and spiritual and physical rejuvenation are important for continued effectiveness.
At least the plan was to get away, but verse 33 indicates that the crowds saw them get away in the boat and followed. The crowds were now interested in not only Jesus but his apostles who had now become extensions of his power. They were no longer unknowns but famous. Word spread quickly to all the towns. The scene must have been interesting with the boat going across the water and the crowds moving across the shore to intercept wherever Jesus and his apostles landed. Oftentimes, the needs do not go away, even with the best intensions of having a retreat. These disciples had to learn another lesson about digging deeper into their faith, even at the point of exhaustion.
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