Title: Merciful Jesus / Mark 6:12-14,30-33
The Merciful Jesus / Mark 6:12-14,30-33
Key Verse: “He said to them, “Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while.” (verse 31)
Word: The content of this text is the result of Jesus training the twelve disciples and then sending out two people to evangelize.
First, “The name of Jesus was revealed” (Mark 6:14). In Mark 6:6, Jesus went through all the villages and taught, but it is not recorded that the name of Jesus was revealed. But when the 12 disciples went out and preached, “the name of Jesus was revealed.” This proves how effective it is to have several people trained and work together rather than one person working. And the name of Jesus was able to be revealed because the twelve disciples preached the gospel. First, they preached in the name of Jesus in teams of two. Second, they worked only by faith, and thirdly, they did their best while being faithful to death . Even today, where there are saints who preach the gospel of the Lord and are faithful to death, the name of Jesus Christ is revealed. And God is glorified.
Second, “everything the apostles did and taught, they reported to Jesus” (Mark 6:30). All Christians must report their daily work to our Lord, God. We must pray to the Almighty for advice, guidance, strength, and help. Prayer is the most important secret of success. Prayer moves the heart of the Almighty Lord who rules heaven and earth. Prayer allows you to receive the promised help of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Christians should always be awake and pray. Loyalty and service without prayer can cause many problems.
Third, He said, “Come and rest for a while” (Mark 6:31). You can meet the merciful Lord in the words of the disciples who returned after doing their best to spread the gospel, “Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while.” Jesus knows the importance of rest. A person must rest not only the body but also the soul. A person who does not know rest is a person who disobeys God's commandments (Ex 20:8-11). God also worked for 6 days and rested on the 7th.
Adequate work and rest are essential to living a healthy Christian life. Therefore, it is very precious to keep the Sunday Sabbath and keep it holy. Rest, but the place is important. The phrase “come by yourselves to a secluded place” teaches us that place and environment are very important for effective relaxation. In that sense, the church should be a place where the body and soul of the saints can rest. A break for relaxation is meaningless. Jesus told his disciples to “rest for a while”. He was saying that rest should be a cradle for a new start and re-creation.
Prayer: May you live in the grace of the Lord who gives you true peace and rest and fulfill your mission. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Lord's Prayer