4 Key points

Jesus, who was so busy with people coming and going that there was no time to eat, told His disciples, "Let us go to a quiet place and rest for a while." So, Jesus and His companions took a boat and headed to a "quiet place" (or "solitary place" in the Korean Revised Version). When the many people saw them leaving, they recognized Jesus and came running from various towns by land, arriving there before them. When Jesus disembarked and saw the large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. He began to teach them many things (Mark 6:30-34). As I reflect on this passage, I think of 4 key points:

(1) The Importance of Rest:

When I think of Jesus telling His disciples, "Let us go to a 'solitary place' (or 'quiet place') and rest for a while," even though He Himself had no time to eat, I realize that, like Jesus' words, we ministers must also take time to rest in a "solitary place" [“quiet place” or “peaceful place”], even if it’s just for a while. I believe the same applies to the believers. God, who created the heavens and the earth, worked for six days to create the world, and on the seventh day, He completed His work and rested (Exodus 31:17). Yet today, it seems that we work for six days and do not know how to rest on the seventh day, the Sabbath. We must rest when it's time to rest. We all need "rest." Although we bear heavy burdens that God has given us to carry while living in this world (Ecclesiastes 3:10), we must humbly respond to Jesus’ invitation, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28), and find rest in Him.

(2) The Importance of a Quiet Place:

I believe that Jesus' practice of praying alone in a quiet place, having intimate fellowship with God the Father, was the central backbone of all His ministry (His public life). Therefore, we too need to have our own quiet place, a place of prayer. We need training to be alone in a quiet place, with a quiet heart, during quiet moments. We must learn to be still before God. There are times when we need to put aside our ministry as well. We should not be like Martha, who was so busy with work. We need to leave behind the complexity of our daily lives and go to a quiet place. We need time and space alone. We must stop everything and come quietly before the Lord, taking time to meditate on His Word and spend time in prayer. In doing so, we will experience God's presence with us and grow in the ability to transform the lonely wilderness into a garden of solitude.

(3) The Importance of Compassion:

As I meditate on the passage where Jesus, after disembarking from the boat, saw the large crowd and had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, I found the reason for this in Matthew 9:36: "When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Korean Modern Bible). In reality, just as this passage describes, how many believers around us are suffering because there are no true shepherds (pastors) who resemble Jesus? Why are they suffering? Could it be because they are not hearing the true gospel of Jesus Christ through a true shepherd, a pastor? And perhaps they are not experiencing the true love of Jesus? Therefore, aren't they spiritually malnourished, suffering from a lack of God's love and not receiving the true Word of God? When we see such wandering souls, should we not, like Jesus, lift up a heart of compassion for each and every one of them?

(4) The Importance of the Ministry of Teaching:

When Jesus saw the large crowd and had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, He taught them many things. The apostles, following Jesus' example, devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the ministry of teaching (Mark 6:30; Acts 6:4). Therefore, those who are entrusted with God's Word, the servants of the Lord, must teach in a way that the Word of Christ dwells richly among us, teaching with all wisdom (Colossians 3:16), and must teach well (2 Timothy 2:24). We must teach in accordance with sound doctrine (Titus 2:1). These are the words of Jesus: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20, Korean Modern Bible).