Jeremiah 23:1-6 / Ephesians 2:13-18 / Mark 6:30-34
We know what the letters RIP stands for. It is often engraved on tombstones and on niches. Of course in that context, it stands for “Rest in Peace”.
So it seems that only those who have passed on, those who have died, only they are entitled to rest in peace.
But for the living, and that is all of us, we also would like to “RIP”, but our “RIP” is in another sense, and that is “Rest If Possible”.
Especially in a dense and urban city like Singapore, we are plagued with not enough time and not enough rest, and our tagline is “busy busy busy”.
In fact, we can be so busy that RIP can also mean “Ripped Into Pieces”.
So even when we are in the toilet (the toilet is sometimes called the restroom), it may not be that we can do whatever in peace. Because someone will come along and knock on the door and say things like “Are you still in there? Can you hurry up?” Especially when it’s rush hour.
As we read the gospel, the sentence that will appeal to us is probably what Jesus said to His disciples “You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while.”
Oh, how we yearn for that! Oh yes, how we wish we could leave everything behind and don’t have to worry about anything, and just eat and sleep and rest. And of course not forgetting to bring along our mobile devices and battery chargers.
Jesus said that to His apostles because He had sent them out to preach repentance, cure the sick and to cast out devils. And they came back and told Him all they had done and taught. They saw how the authority that Jesus gave them had worked wonders and they probably wanted to go on and on.
But here is where Jesus told them to stop, to come away to some lonely place and rest. In other words, Jesus wanted them to stop, rest and pray.
Because the temptation here would be to go on and on, spinning faster and faster, and getting all heated up and then end up being burnt-out.
Jesus also wanted to remind His apostles that rest and prayer are critical because without Him they can do nothing.
Jesus used a rather interesting phrase in what He said to the apostles. He told them to “come away”. It is a rather strange way to use those two words. Usually it would be to “go away” or “come here”. But “come away”?
So Jesus is telling His apostles to “come away” from all their busyness and to come to Him. And here we will recall in Mathew 11:28, Jesus said: Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.
While the apostles might have found their mission exciting, and saw things happening, it may not be the same for us.
The anxieties and worries of life have taken their toll on us physically, and we yearn for a good rest in the comfort of our beds.
But more than just physical rest, what we really yearn for is that our hearts are at rest. In other words, our hearts need to rest in peace.
When our hearts are not rested in peace, then physically we will be always feeling tired and drained out and even burnt-out.
That was why the crowds were looking for Jesus. They had a need – it could be looking for a cure from some illness, or being disturbed by evil, or being oppressed or harassed.
Physically they were worn out by anxieties and worries. Spiritually they were burning out of hope and wearing out thin on faith.
When Jesus saw the crowds, He didn’t have the heart to turn the boat around and look for another place. Rather, He took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and He set Himself to teach them at some length.
Jesus wanted to teach the crowds that besides physical and material needs, there are also spiritual needs. As much as the body needs to rest, the heart also needs to be at rest. When the heart is at rest, then that will make a difference in our lives.
The following poem will express what this difference is about:
I got up early one morning
and rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish
that I didn't have time to pray.
Problems just tumbled about me,
and heavier came each task.
I wondered, "Why doesn't God help me?".
He answered, "You didn't ask."
I wanted to see joy and beauty,
but the day toiled on, gray and bleak;
I wondered why God didn't show me.
He said, "But you didn't seek."
I tried to come into God's presence;
I used all my keys at the lock.
God gently and lovingly chided,
"My child, you didn't knock."
I woke up early this morning,
and paused before entering the day;
I had so much to accomplish
that I had to take time to pray.
Well, RIP can stand for “Rest In Peace”, or “Rest If Possible”, or “Ripped Into Pieces’, but when we take time to “Rest In Prayer” then we will truly be at peace.
And what a wonderful rest it will be for our lives.