Finally Alone

What did it take for Jesus to find a peaceful place to pray?

The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 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. When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat." But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?" And he said to them, "How many loaves have you? Go and see." When they had found out, they said, "Five, and two fish." Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men. 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. - Mark 6:30-46

We have read this story many times, and each time, the main focus is on Jesus feeding thousands with a few fish and some bread. We see the miracle and that's all.

But why did Jesus and his apostles go in the boat to begin with?

"Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while."

Jesus wanted them to rest. He wanted them to be alone together so they could escape the crowds and have time to think and talk.

But the people went ahead of them, and their plan for some peace and quiet was ruined.

I was listening to an Eastern Orthodox priest talk about the requests we make of God. He told a story of a Saudi King who asked Arnold Palmer what he could give him. 

Arnold, not wanting to disappoint the king, said a gold club, for the king had invited him and many others to play in his country.

When Arnold returned home, he expected to receive a package from the king, but weeks went by and nothing came. He figured the king forgot. Finally, a large envelope arrived and it was the deed to a 500 acre golf club.

The priest said if a Saudi King could give that much when asked for something small, imagine what God would give.

The point he was making is that God's perspective is infinite, while ours is finite.

Jesus was surrounded by people wanting something from him, and he accommodated them, even though it was not what he had planned to do.

After all the work was done, he finally got to go away in peace and rest, but only after helping everyone else. 

God will listen to us when we call out to Him. And He will respond, but maybe not on the scale we are asking. It may take a little time and a bit of wisdom to see how God answers us. 

Like Arnold, we need to keep checking for the mail.

More to come...