And I would also advise that one takes a Sabbath when they can. There is no doubt that this is good for this mortal body. There is a case that one can be more effective in their work if they take breaks and eat right. I know that many would advise other than what I have said here. There we can catch up with the Sabbaths we have had to miss for the sake of the Gospel. Sometimes we won’t find rest for our weary bodies until we are called home to be with Jesus. The answer is that the book of Hebrews says that a Sabbath rest remains for the people of God. Jesus does tell us to rest, but just when can we? It can also be hard on our souls and can lead to burnout. This of course is tough on the body and can lead to health issues. Do we attend to this business, or do we take our Sabbath? If we follow the model here, it seems that we take care of our responsibilities first. It seems that when we are at the end of ourselves, we are called to go the extra mile. I have groaned at such situations, and so have other pastors. Someone in the flock has been in a serious wreck or some other serious matter arises that requires your urgent attention. But how many times when you are about to take that Sabbath, the phone rings. Our bodies need care just like anyone else. We should set aside a day for Sabbath, in this case a Sabbath from our regular duties. The pastor has to maintain his or her family, visit the flock at home and in the hospital. So what do we make of this? If Jesus modelled the ministry the disciples were to follow, then do we follow what both Jesus and the disciples experienced? If one is serious about being a disciple, the answer is yes.
And when one sees the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 in this context, one should understand the connection to the wilderness experience of the Children of Israel and the giving of the manna there. Mark is probably not naming a particular place, but rather saying that they went to a place that was uninhabited. But there is good evidence that we should understand it as being where John mentions. Going across the Sea of Galilee was more than ten miles, and going around the lake even more.
In favor to the former is that it records that the crowds outran them and were waiting when they landed. I have seen maps which show a place called “Eremos Topos” (deserted place) on a map which was not far from Capernaum, but John in his account in John 6 says they sailed across the lake. So they got in the boat and landed at a deserted place. The disciples were weary and needed rest.
The Sabbath was made for the benefit of man. Jesus certainly had some ideas about the Sabbath that were controversial to the Pharisees. They had worked hard and were in need of a Sabbath. The passage in Mark notes that that Jesus told them to come apart and rest for a while.
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