<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><div><div><br></div>Mark 6;30-32<div><br></div><div><b>30. &nbsp;The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught.</b></div><div><b>31. &nbsp;And he said to them, &nbsp;“Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while.” &nbsp;For many were coming and going, and they had&nbsp;no&nbsp;leisure even to eat.</b></div><div><b>32. &nbsp;And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><span>By the time the disciples/apostles returned from their being sent out two by two, with authority over unclean spirits, preaching, and healing, John the Baptist had been martyred. &nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>One of</span><span>&nbsp;Jesus’ disciples, Andrew&nbsp;had&nbsp;first been follower of John the Baptist</span><span>&nbsp;(John1;40). &nbsp;Other disciples, Philip,&nbsp;possibly Nathanael, and even Simon Peter, could have been occasional followers of the baptizer.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>&nbsp;Almost all of the disciples had to some extent heard of, or known of John the Baptist and his preaching. &nbsp;Together, they understood that John the Baptist was not preaching himself, (but the promised ‘coming One’, the ‘Messiah’),&nbsp;<i>“a man who ranks before me”&nbsp;</i>(John 1;30) <i>“the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie” </i>(v. 27) &nbsp;<i>“His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire” </i>(Matthew 3;12) therefore, <i>“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” </i>(v. 2).</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>This was a bitter-sweet moment for the disciples/apostles. &nbsp;They were in need of rest from their being ‘sent out’, they were excited and joyful&nbsp;having stories to tell about those journeys, (see, Luke 10;17). But, they were also sorrowful and grieving the death of John the Baptist. &nbsp;This is why Jesus said to them, <i>“Come away by yourselves to a lonely place,&nbsp;and rest awhile.” &nbsp;</i></span></div><div><span><i><br></i></span></div><div><span>Grief, and reflection upon one’s life, and the lives of loved ones now gone from us in the sleep of death, requires separation from the hectic day to day existence we live most of the time. &nbsp;In the case of the disciple/apostles, they had in their own right become famous in a&nbsp;lesser sense, since they too were preforming signs and wonders, and preaching. &nbsp;So many people now were swarming around them, they had no time to even eat, let alone to grieve. &nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Jesus understands, we all need a break, praise God. &nbsp;Rest and reflection is soul reviving, it gives us time with our thoughts to consider how God is working in our lives. &nbsp;Such ‘away time’ allows us to draw nearer to our Lord and&nbsp;better understand ourselves.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>(To all the husbands out there, this is a good passage to share with your wives when you find yourself wanting to buy a fishing&nbsp;boat!)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Heavenly Father, You call us into the unending sabbath rest of Jesus, a rest into the finished work of Jesus. &nbsp;The full payment for our souls cleansing has been made upon the cross by our Savior. &nbsp;Bless us to retreat in our hearts, minds, and meditation into that rest daily, bless us to die with Christ daily in the waters of holy baptism, so that daily we may &nbsp;arise and live under Him in His kingdom, made new and&nbsp;refreshed in soul and spirit. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Love,</span></div><div><span>Dad/Baba/Eric</span></div><div><span>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</span></div><div><span>“A chapter a day, every day, progressive ly, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</span></div><div><span>&nbsp;</span></div><div><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Mark 6;30-32
30.  The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught.31.  And he said to them,  “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while.”  For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.32.  And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves.
By the time the disciples/apostles returned from their being sent out two by two, with authority over unclean spirits, preaching, and healing, John the Baptist had been martyred.  
One of Jesus’ disciples, Andrew had first been follower of John the Baptist (John1;40).  Other disciples, Philip, possibly Nathanael, and even Simon Peter, could have been occasional followers of the baptizer.
 Almost all of the disciples had to some extent heard of, or known of John the Baptist and his preaching.  Together, they understood that John the Baptist was not preaching himself, (but the promised ‘coming One’, the ‘Messiah’), “a man who ranks before me” (John 1;30) “the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie” (v. 27)  “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3;12) therefore, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (v. 2).
This was a bitter-sweet moment for the disciples/apostles.  They were in need of rest from their being ‘sent out’, they were excited and joyful having stories to tell about those journeys, (see, Luke 10;17). But, they were also sorrowful and grieving the death of John the Baptist.  This is why Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest awhile.”  
Grief, and reflection upon one’s life, and the lives of loved ones now gone from us in the sleep of death, requires separation from the hectic day to day existence we live most of the time.  In the case of the disciple/apostles, they had in their own right become famous in a lesser sense, since they too were preforming signs and wonders, and preaching.  So many people now were swarming around them, they had no time to even eat, let alone to grieve.  
Jesus understands, we all need a break, praise God.  Rest and reflection is soul reviving, it gives us time with our thoughts to consider how God is working in our lives.  Such ‘away time’ allows us to draw nearer to our Lord and better understand ourselves.
(To all the husbands out there, this is a good passage to share with your wives when you find yourself wanting to buy a fishing boat!)
Prayer:  Merciful Heavenly Father, You call us into the unending sabbath rest of Jesus, a rest into the finished work of Jesus.  The full payment for our souls cleansing has been made upon the cross by our Savior.  Bless us to retreat in our hearts, minds, and meditation into that rest daily, bless us to die with Christ daily in the waters of holy baptism, so that daily we may  arise and live under Him in His kingdom, made new and refreshed in soul and spirit.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.

Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressive ly, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.” 

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