Mark 6:30-31: “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’”

When we’re overwhelmed with more work than time, we’re tempted to think that we need to work more and work harder to catch up and regain control. 

However, this wasn’t just any work Jesus and his disciples were doing. Real people were coming to them with real problems—disease and disability. The opportunity was ripe to grow Jesus’ ministry. How could they rest in the middle of all that?

But Jesus saw the need of the 12 men who assisted him. If he didn’t take care of them, and himself, how could they take care of others?

Why do we resist the need to rest? It might be a matter of pride. We don’t want to acknowledge our limitations, either to ourselves or others. This kind of prideful attitude whispers, “I can handle this, even if it kills me.” And tragically, it just might.

Maybe we neglect rest out of a kind of despair, born of an overactive sense of responsibility. Endless work might make us miserable, but we don’t see an alternative.

Both pride and despair ignore the existence of an almighty and loving God, which is a dangerous spiritual place to be. Jesus understood this peril and thus led his disciples—and leads us—to the brink of our endurance. It’s at our limits that we can finally see what he sees: the need for rest.

Consider this: God created this world with a day of rest. When he summarized his will for people in the Ten Commandments, one had to do with rest: 

“Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work…” (Ex. 20:8-9). 

Jesus’ formula for rest comprises three parts:

“By yourselves” — this invites us to step away from the demands and pressures of the world and from those who may drain our spirits. It’s not about being alone; Jesus himself had the company of the Twelve, including faithful friends and family he could count on for support. Rest includes time with those who uplift us rather than challenge every ounce of our energy.

Second, “…to a quiet place…” suggests a retreat from the everyday hustle, a sanctuary from work and other obligations. Sometimes we need to be beyond reach and beyond distraction. Jesus wants our attention on something else.

Lastly, “Come with me” is fundamentally his first and central invitation. Jesus wants our rest to be with him. He doesn’t want to give us a new list of tasks to complete. He wants to erase the things we falsely put on our task list, like “carrying around our guilt” and “paying for our mistakes.” He already did all that for us at the cross.

“Come with me,” Jesus invites, not to chastise us or highlight our shortcomings, but to offer forgiveness and freedom. “Come with me,” he says, not to be used, but to be loved. It’s okay to admit your vulnerabilities and know that you are not alone. Jesus sees your true need to rest in his grace and love.

Nourish your faith in between Sundays by reading more of John’s writings at BitsOfBread.org