Divine Interruptions / Mark 6:30-34

Some interruptions in life are welcome. Like a friend inviting you to play a game during homework hour.

Other interruptions are not so convenient. You get sick during vacation. You get a flat tire on the way to an event. Your baby wakes you up in the middle of the night (not that any of these have happened to me).

As Christians, we believe that God is in control. This means that interruptions are intentional.

In tonights story, we are going to witness three interruptions. Through these scenes, we will learn how to view interruptions as an opportunity, not a burden.

Here are three divine interruptions:

1. Needed Rest

30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.

A few weeks ago, we learned about the story when Jesus sent out the disciples in pairs to preach his message and expand his kingdom. That trip was a major success. They cast out demons. They saw sick people healed, pretty cool trip if you ask me.

As expected, they are pumped to report their results with their leader. I imagine that as they report the results to Jesus, they have a smile on their face. Perhaps they were so energized by success they were ready for round two. Instead, Jesus interrupts them with a plan of his own.

31 And he 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.

He interrupts them with needed rest.

Does your life have a pattern of rest? Does your schedule have breathing room? Do you ever hit the pause button on homework or activities?

Friends will be able to diagnose those questions for you better than you can… Jesus notices that they became so focused on ministry, they started to neglect basic needs in life, like eating. Is the same true for you.

Are you eating well?

Are you sleeping enough?

Andrew Jones, “sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap.” Share the story of when I fell asleep in the prayer chapel. I probably honored God just as much by napping.

As one of my favorite t shirts says, “Be like Jesus. Jesus took naps.”

If the answer is no, it will hinder your energy to live for God. How can we establish a pattern of needed rest? The passage gives us clues:

“Come away - Rest with Jesus

by yourselves - Rest from work

to a desolate place - Rest in solitude

and rest a while.” - Rest when needed

(He said, "rest for a while." He did not say, "rest for a minute" nor "rest for a month.")

Ask yourself, “am I a person who needs to be interrupted by needed rest?” If the answer is yes, apply these ideas.

But as you rest, be prepared for the second interruption.

2. Needy People

32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. The plan is going well. They put a day of rest on their calendar. Their on their way to vacation…

33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, I have taken a boat across the sea of Galilee. Because it is a sea, you may think this body of water is massive. Instead, it’s more like a large lake. You can see boats on a clear day. When the crowd saw Jesus and the disciples in the boat, they recognized them.

If we were in a public place, would people recognize that we have been with Jesus?

Their ministry is working. People are beginning to know them as the group who teaches truth and brings healing to communities.

What are we known for? What are you known for? Be known for Jesus. Would people desire to come to us like this description?

and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

The distance travelled to get to the desolate place on foot was four to five miles. What would you run 5 miles to see? They ran five miles to see Jesus. Their need was real. Their excitement was tangible.

At this point in the story, there are two groups we can compare.

The disciples need rest. The crowd needs help.

The disciples need a meal. The crowd needs ministry.

The disciples need alone time with Jesus. The crowd needs public teaching from Jesus.

Two groups with drastically different needs are about to collide. This is the reality of life. When a mom needs sleep, the baby needs a meal. When volunteers want to relax, teens want to play a game.

When these moments happen, we must remember the biblical principle, “It is better to give than to receive.”

It turns out that people are more eager to be ministered to, than we are to minister. There is a time that we need to get over ourselves and throw away the plan. Because interruptions are intentional. Needy people need Jesus.

Though a crowd of people may have been the last thing the disciples wanted to see, Jesus’ response may surprise you.

The last interruption is...

3. Necessary Ministry

34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them,

This past year, Jordyn’s family took us on a cruise for vacation. I cannot imagine what I would feel if when I entered the boat, you all were standing in the lobby. Look, I love ya’ll, but I wouldn’t feel compassion.

Rather than viewing this crowd as a burden, he has compassion for them. "The word for compassion refers to intestinal organs, which were thought to be the seat of the emotions." Ross H. McLaren. Jesus’ gut reaction for them is compassion.

Teenagers are often viewed with contempt by society. Adults look down on you. Family may not make time for you. You may feel like you’re a burden. This is not how Jesus feels about you. He has time for you. He likes you. He loves you.

We know this to be true because when the crowd interrupted his plan, he had compassion on them...

because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

"No animal is as dependent upon a shepherd as a sheep. Without the shepherd, sheep wander aimlessly and get lost. Without the shepherd to show them to the good places to graze, sheep do not eat. Without a shepherd to lead them to water, sheep die of thirst. Without the shepherd, wolves can devour the sheep" Rodney L. Cooper

The leaders in Jerusalem at that time were letting the people down. Herod was corrupt. Rome was oppressive. And their own religious leaders were blinded by their own righteousness.

Jesus is the perfect shepherd. He will never lead you astray. His priority to feed you surpasses his priority to feed himself.

We see this reality in the final verse:

And he began to teach them many things.

That’s weird. If they have incompetent leaders, they have many needs: money, food, guidance, better housing… why did Jesus decide to teach them before fixing anything else?

Teaching is to the heart. What feeding is to the belly.

If sheep aren’t fed, they won’t have strength to move to better pastures. They won’t have energy to run from wolves. Feeding the sheep is the first priority.

That is why Jesus’ first priority, and the priority of pastors, is to teach.

Buildings fade. Plans change. Stomachs get hungry again. Healed bodies eventually die. But the human soul remains forever.

That is why we shared the good news of Jesus last month in addition to giving food to the Meadowbrook High School team.

When you come here, come to learn about Jesus Christ. Disney can give you entertainment. Sports teams can give you friends. Chick-fil-a can give you food (for $20 bucks). But only the church will give you Jesus.

A Jesus who values rest, a Jesus who has compassion on needy people, a Jesus who gives them the ministry they most desperately need.

A Jesus who makes every interruption intentional.