When our kids were young, we took a trip to northern Wisconsin to visit my grandparents. They didnt get very good reception on their television, but TV wasnt much of a priority with them. After I had seen our son Scott fiddling with the TV set for a while, he asked with frustration, What do you do if you can get only one channel and you dont like whats on that one?
Try turning it off, I said with a smile. Not exactly the advice he was hoping for. Its even more difficult to do now, especially when there are so many devices that entertain, inform, and distract us.
Sometimes we do need to just turn it all off and rest our minds for a little while; we simply need to unplug. Jesus often drew aside for a timeespecially when He wanted to take time to pray (Matt. 14:13). He encouraged the disciples to step away as welleven for a brief time (Mark 6:31). That kind of solitude and time for reflection is beneficial for each of us. In those moments we are able to draw near to God.
Follow the example and wisdom of Christ. Get away by yourself and rest a while. It will be good for your body, mind, and spirit.
Mark 6 is a pivotal chapter in this gospel account. It begins with the people of Jesus hometown of Nazareth rejecting Him (vv. 1-6). This experience is compounded by the death of John the Baptist (vv. 14-29)a person Jesus loved and honored (Matt. 11:1-11; 14:1-13). These moments of difficulty, however, did not impede Jesus continuing work. The chapter concludes with two of His most notable miracles: His feeding of the multitude (vv. 30-44) and His walking on water (vv. 45-56). Great heartache and power combine to make this chapter so strategic in Marks gospel. Bill Crowder