Ministry

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. -Mark 6:30-32 I really love the scene from the Bible passage above. Earlier, Jesus had sent the apostles off on their first mission by themselves. And things went well, very well. The apostles have returned, exhausted but thrilled with all of the wonders God worked through them. They can’t contain their joy, and all of them are talking at the same time as they tell Jesus all about their adventures. Jesus is smiling a paternal smile. He’s very proud and happy. “Come by yourselves to an out-of-the-way place,” he says. I can imagine the intimacy shared between them in this scene and the bond that now exists because of the accomplishment of common mission. The story in Mark goes on to say that the people loved them so much that they ran ahead to the not-so-hidden hiding place and were waiting for the apostles when they arrived. But at the very least, Jesus and the apostles had that quiet boat ride in the sunset. I can easily picture them drifting along on the placid waters, in no hurry to get any place. Three of them have fallen asleep. Peter can’t resist putting a fishing line in the water. Matthew hates being on the water and sits in the middle of the boat, nervously telling the others not to rock it too much. James and John are teasing him about this and are rocking the boat even more, which makes Jesus laugh out loud. And all the while, despite their exhaustion, they can’t help telling each other stories about all the ways God worked through their hands and feet and words and actions. They are drunk on joy. ...

Then Jesus said to him, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.” -Luke 14:16-19 ...

Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him. When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” -Mark 15:29-34 ...