He sent the executioner off to the prison with orders to bring back John’s head. He went, cut off John’s head, brought it back on a platter, and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and got the body and gave it a decent burial.

The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves; let’s take a break and get a little rest.” For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat.

So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves. Someone saw them going and the word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got there ahead of them. When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them. (Mark 6:27–34)

Jesus told his disciples that they needed to get away. But when they got away to where they were going to rest, they weren’t alone. Did Jesus’ plans therefore get thwarted? Were Jesus and his disciples cheated out of their time of rest?

Not at all. Just as Jesus told Satan “man does not live on bread alone” (Matthew 4:4 NIV) so now, at this juncture, the disciples would learn that rest did not necessarily mean getting away from it all and doing nothing. Jesus would teach all day and then feed the five thousand. But this was still a “time of rest” for both him and his disciples.

The purpose of rest is not the goofing off. Its purpose is the recharging, the getting energized, the recovering from the hard work that we’ve been doing. In finding a crowd, in proclaiming the Good News, in feeding the multitudes, Jesus and his disciples were re-energized to continue their ministry.

Jesus and the disciples went on from the feeding of the five thousand in power. God will take care of our needs. He’ll give us the desires of our hearts. We may be surprised and startled by how he goes about giving us what we need. And we may not always realize that it really is what we need. But in the end, it will be what we need.

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