Title: Take a break!
Contents
6:30-33 Take a break!
Gentlemen, in general, Koreans do not know how to rest. Furthermore, there is a tendency to regard rest as a sin. However, it doesn't seem to be the case when it comes to working efficiently. I wish there was a clear distinction between resting and working, but it's not clear. Of course, not everyone is like that, but to some extent it makes sense. The root cause of this seems to be the lack of the concept of rest.
A long time ago, there was a lawsuit in Korea between a consumer and a beer company. In other words, the beer has too much foam in the eyes of the consumer. The argument was that either the price should be lowered or more liquid beer should be added without the foam, because the actual amount of beer is too small if the foam is removed. The verdict has come. Who would win? The beer company won.
The verdict is as follows. “Froth is also beer,” and the judge added, “Beer tastes like foam. What kind of beer is beer without foam?” I said. You can ask the musician with a similar logic. “Is the comma part of the score?” What is the musician's answer? Of course, “yes!” Yes. The comma is definitely part of the score. So, let me ask you one more thing. “Is rest a part of life?” What is our answer to this? The answer is, of course, “yes!”
But the problem is, we don't even try to rest and we don't even know what true rest is. However, as you know, vacation culture is established here in North America and Canada. We think that winter is cold, so school should take a long vacation and rest at that time, but the opposite is true. Summer vacation with good weather is for two months. The university has four months of summer vacation. Why? When the weather is nice, go on vacation. And to make it easier to go on vacation, holidays are usually held on Mondays. Of course, too much rest is a problem, but giving up rest is also a problem.
In the Bible, there are passages that say, “If you do not want to work, let them not eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10) and “be faithful to death” (Revelation 2:10). But in today's text, Jesus said these words to his disciples. “Come yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while.” (Mark 6:31) Today, I want to share grace with you on the topic of rest and rest.
In a way, you might think that this topic seems like a leisurely story of people who are comfortable with selling, and that it is too light a topic to share with God's Word. But it turns out that this is just as important as any other topic. Guys, think of sheet music without commas. Also, consider a blank ink painting (水墨畵). No music, no pictures. Imagine working for a week without a single break. You probably won't be able to get rid of your body and mind.
Everyone, do you know? After creation, God rested, and Jesus also rested for some time after His work. Of course, the break was always interrupted by people, but he repeatedly emphasized the need for a break. In particular, if you meditate on today's text, you can understand the real meaning of why Jesus said to rest. Rest is more than just a level of relaxation.
In today's text, we see that Jesus' disciples return and tell Jesus about the successful things they have done. But in verse 31, Jesus said to them, “Go by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while.” If I were Jesus, I would have said, “Children! Now our time has come. Going forward, let's build large training centers and offices to send more people, expand our organization globally, and recruit more supporters for this work. fighting!"
But Jesus' follow-up was not, "Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while." Of course, it also means taking a break because you've worked hard. But Jesus wanted them to realize while they were resting. Who did those great things they did? “Ahem! I did it!" Rather than being arrogant and excited, he calmly rested and said, “Aha, God used us to do these things!” and wanted to understand. In other words, our rest is for the purpose of restoring our spirituality. This is the ultimate reason you need a break. So what is true relaxation?
1. Rest is a blessing after hard work.
Everyone, when can you feel the steamiest and sweetest rest? These are the hours that come after hard work. So, people who play all the time do not enjoy these times. Look at the disciples today. They followed Jesus' command and returned from their missionary journey. But if the disciples did not work hard during the missionary trip, what would they have to say when they returned? And again, Jesus would not have told such disciples to come and rest now. You probably said something like this back then. “Now that you have rested and played, come and do some work.”
In other words, the disciples were given a break because they did their best. Therefore, we must also work hard. Students must be diligent in their work as students, office workers as office workers, and housewives as housewives. Only after hard work can our rest be truly rest. All of you who worked hard! I bless you in the name of the Lord to enjoy a sweet rest.
2. Rest is a short break in a secluded place.
Today's text is verse 31. “He said to them, ‘Come to a secluded place and rest for a while.’ Because there are so many people who come and go, they don’t even have time to eat.” To paraphrase this today, resting longer than necessary in a crowded place is not a rest but a pain. So, where is the quiet place here? Are you literally referring to a quiet, uninterrupted place to rest? Of course, that means it, but that's not all.
Let's take an example. In Korea, people preparing for bar exams or big exams often visit very quiet temples and stay there for months or years to study. A family member or friend visits them and says “Now, stop studying and get some rest.” To them, taking a break does not mean entering a quieter intercourse again. On the contrary, it means coming down from the temple and eating good food at a good restaurant, meeting people you want to meet, going to a jjimjilbang, watching a movie, and listening to world news.
In other words, the meaning of rest should be viewed as the concept of the environment, not the concept of a certain place. In a word, it's about changing the atmosphere a bit. right? Is it not possible to take a break just because it's a quiet place, and not because it's a complicated place? Rather, the secluded place our Lord wants is to change our lifestyle a little more creatively.
The French word ‘vacance’, as we know it well, comes from the Latin ‘bacante’. What it means is 'change'. Looking at it like that, it seems that French people really don't understand the meaning of rest. The real relaxation is that relaxation is what makes a difference. What is the change for a student who studies hard? Taking a break from studying. That will increase efficiency. On the other hand, what's a break for someone who's been playing all the time? going to work That's rest.
It's the same principle. If you really want to relax, change the mood, whether you're lazy or busy. Are you always locked up in the house? Go around a bit. This will give you vitality in your life. Tired of traveling all the time? Go to Bangkok, in other words, lock yourself up in the house and get a good night's sleep. That's rest. In other words, rest is different for each person.
However, all these breaks should not be too long. The Lord did not tell his disciples to “rest well!” but to “rest for a while!” If your boss pays a lot of money to an employee at work and says, “Go home and get some rest!”, that means you are fired. Humans are prone to spreading, corrupting, and sinful if they rest too long. You should rest in moderation.
3. True rest must always be with the Lord.
Even if you take a break, a break apart from the Lord cannot be a break. Rest with the Lord! This is the last message of the day. If you look closely at today's message, Jesus did not say to his disciples, 'Go!', but 'Come!'. “Come and rest!” What is the Lord's intention? The Lord's invitation to come today is never meant to limit the freedom of the disciples or to impose any psychological burden. Rather, it says, “I must be with you, and there is true rest.” Just as a fish cannot live without water, so you too cannot truly rest apart from me.
No matter how lavish and well-done the break may be, let your mind wander! It cannot be a true rest. But our hearts and our souls are not mine, but God's. We are all toiling and carrying heavy burdens, but our Lord is the only one who can break that yoke and give us true rest. In other words, famous resorts or beaches are not our resting places, but the wide and large arms of Jesus are our resting places.
Maybe take a vacation away from the Lord. Have a drunken, sinful vacation! It may be enjoyable for a while, but the aftereffects will overwhelm you with fatigue instead of rest. It can never be a break. To sum up today's message in one word, "True rest is true rest to be in the Lord." So hymn writer Cushing sang:
I rest comfortably under your wing, even when the night is deep and the rain and wind blow
The Father will watch over me, and there I will rest in peace.
Rejoice under the wings of the Lord, who will cut off his love?
The soul that breathes under the wings of the Lord lives there forever Amen!
Dear all! God, without Jesus there is no real rest for man. The Lord said. “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart. Then your hearts will find rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).
Do you want to have a real rest here in a foreign land? You must work hard in your life, take a break, go to a quiet place for a while to rest, and come closer to Jesus, the Lord of rest. Such a true rest will present us with vitality or Re-Creation. I hope that you will find true rest during the summer and vacation seasons.