Week 3: Rest for the Weary

Are you weary? In our fast-paced world of long hours and short deadlines it seems the population of weary people is at an all-time high. With so much to do and so little time to do it in, weariness has become a way of life for many.

I recall my first introduction to self-inflicted weariness. One summer, for reasons still unknown to me, I thought it would be fun to attend a week long summer basketball camp that was being held at a nearby college campus. The camp was run by a director who could best be described as a cross between Bob Knight and Attila the Hun. His views on how a basketball camp should be run were summed up in his opening address which began with, "You know, I've always felt that sleep was overrated . . . ." I think my body is still recovering from that experience.

It's amazing how many people live by the same principle that ruled the basketball camp I attended. Sleep has become a luxury for the few who can afford to "waste" the time on it. In the quest to squeeze more hours from a day of fixed length, sleep is often sacrificed for seemingly more important things. This is especially true for those involved in full or part-time ministry. The drive to do ever more "for the cause of Christ" can be a compelling force. Knowing the importance and value of such work makes it all the harder to lay it aside for anything else, especially something with no apparent spiritual value.

Amidst our world of tired bodies, tension headaches, and nonstop activity, it's easy to miss the voice of the one who said:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Rest for the weary. It sounds wonderful, but can true rest really be had in today's world of ever increasing frenzy? And if it can be had, why are so many, so weary, so often? I think it's because we've failed to understand the purpose and the source of rest in our lives.

Most of us are familiar with the first mention of rest in the Bible:

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. (Genesis 2:2)

Having been given the example of rest in Genesis, we find in Exodus the principle of rest passed on as a command:

"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, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:9-11)

Later in Exodus, God expresses the rationale behind His edict:

"Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed." (Exodus 23:12)

Did you catch the reason given for rest? So that ox, donkey, slave, and alien might be refreshed. The word "refreshed" used here comes from the Hebrew word "naphash" meaning "to breathe" or "to be breathed upon," as one might enjoy a "breath of fresh air." So we see that the purpose of rest isn't merely to ensure proper crop rotation or emulate God's rest following the creation of the universe. Here we see it is for our benefit that the command to rest was instituted. Moving ahead to New Testament times, we see in a different context Jesus reaffirming the purpose of the Sabbath in establishing his Lordship over it (Mark 2:27-28). When Jesus told the crowds in Matthew 11:28 "I will give you rest," he was speaking to much more than their physical weariness. He offered them freedom from the oppressive burdens that had been placed on their shoulders by the religious leaders of their day (Matthew 23:4).

In Jesus' day, there were indeed many weary people, among them, the twelve disciples. In Mark 6:7-12, Jesus sends out the Twelve to preach, teach, heal, and drive out evil spirits. Later, in verse 30, we see a tired group of disciples return:

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." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. (Mark 6:30-32)

Can you picture the scene? Here Jesus meets up with his disciples amidst a multitude of spiritually hungry people and what does he say? "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Here's the ultimate opportunity to minister to all these people and what do they do? They get into the boat and sail off!

Some have attempted to explain this curious sequence of events by interjecting assumptions not found in the passage. For example, I have heard it said that Jesus and his disciples abandoned the crowd most likely for a "higher" spiritual calling, such as a private time for meditation and prayer. Indeed, Jesus did travel to solitary places in order to pray (Matthew 14:23, 26:36; Mark 6:46, 14:32; Luke 6:12, 9:28, 11:1, 22:39-46). Prayer was clearly an important part of Jesus' life on earth. But we find no mention of it in this passage. Instead, we find Jesus inviting his disciples to come with him so that they can "rest."

In this passage, the word "rest" is translated from the Greek word "anapauo" which literally means "to be exempt." In other words, Jesus was inviting the Twelve to take it easy for a while--to be exempt from their responsibilities as disciples. He wasn't calling the worn-out dozen to another ministry opportunity, church retreat, or Bible study--he was inviting them to forget about being disciples and relax--for a short time.[1]

To really understand what Jesus was inviting his disciples to requires that we look a bit closer at the Greek word "anapauo." While we see Jesus speaking of rest in a positive sense in Mark 6:31, it's interesting to note that the same word is used quite negatively in at least two other passages. In Mark 14:32-42 (cf. Matthew 26:36-46), we find Jesus entering the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, his soul "overwhelmed with sorrow." After telling Peter, James, and John to "stay here and keep watch," he returns only to find them sleeping. After returning for the third time he asks, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" (Mark 14:41-42) Here we see the disciples receiving a mild rebuke for "resting" when they should have been keeping watch. In Luke 12:13-21 we read the parable of the rich fool, who himself says, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." (v.19) Here we find "anapauo" translated "take life easy." How fascinating to think that in the middle of a busy schedule with so much work to be done Jesus invited his disciples to "take life easy" for a while.

So what can we make out of all this study? Clearly, the message is not to "take life easy" on a continual basis, lest we become like the rich fool. Nor is it license to relax whenever we might feel like it, lest others find us asleep during their hour of greatest need. But it is, I believe, a reminder that rest is a gift from God provided for our benefit.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Are you feeling weary and burdened? Whether your weariness is physical, spiritual, or emotional, the same Jesus who offered rest then offers rest now. Have you found rest for your soul? The promise Jesus gave to the multitudes He offers to you today:

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30)

[1] That the invitation to the disciples was to relax for "a little" period of time is indicated by the use of the Greek word "oligos." This subtlety is not found in the NIV translation of the passage but can be seen in other more literal translations, such as the NASB and NKJV:

And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while." (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. (Mark 6:30-32, NASB)

And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. (Matthew 6:31-32, NKJV)

Copyright © 1998 Tim A. Krell. All rights reserved. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV), Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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