"And He [Jesus] said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat."
(Mark 6:31 ESV)
The disciples had just been on an amazing stint of ministry. They'd preached, cast out demons and seen many healed from sicknesses (Mark 6:12). Jesus' call to rest (Vs31) often gets overlooked because they don't actually get that rest since people recognize then, follow them and the feeding of the five thousand event happens at this point. But it is probably a lesson we all need to look at.
We're not talking here about dropping out or taking a sabbatical, merely about finding a quiet place with no distractions to rest in.
Some observations:
1. They were going in the presence and company of Jesus.
2.. They weren't going somewhere to rest with a tv screen or xbox controller in hand. It was a desolate place.
3. It may not necessarily be an individual thing, here we have the disciples going together.
4. It was for rest and leisure.
5. They were going in the presence and company of Jesus.
