Even Jesus Got Tired

Scripture

Matthew 14: 13-14, 23

¹³ Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick...   ²³And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray.

Devotion

Today's Scripture shows us a Jesus who is weary. He's been preaching, teaching, and healing in his hometown of Nazareth.  The people appreciate his miracles, but they keep getting confused and offended by his words.   Then, Jesus hears that King Herod has beheaded John the Baptist.  When he learns that John is dead, Jesus tries to get away and be by himself for a while...but the crowds follow him.

I feel for Jesus in this moment, because he is oh-so-human.  He has been pouring himself out for the good of others, but there seems to be no end to the world's suffering and confusion. People who are hungry and in pain press on from all sides.   Even as he he heals their individual bodies, he knows that many of them will be offended by his words.  He's grieving the death of someone who was not only his cousin but also his partner in ministry.  What's more, Jesus he knows that John won't be the only to die for challenging the systems and structures put in place by Rome.   Soon, it will Jesus's turn to feel the sting of death.  As Jesus tries to get away from it all, only to encounter MORE need, he must feel  physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted.

Who among us hasn't felt exhausted lately?  Everywhere we look, there is sickness, injustice, and a thousand other forms of suffering.  We try to do what we can, but nothing ever seems to be enough, and our words and actions are almost certain to offend someone.  As our regular lives are interrupted by breaking reports of injustice and we see good people "cut down" by those in power, it can begin to feel like our entire ministry is doomed to failure...like we will never be able to get away from all this suffering.  Sooner or later, we all reach a point where we feel like we are scraping the bottom of the barrel.

If, like me, you have found yourself feeling completely drained of late, then I urge you to look to Jesus as your example.  Even Christ himself had moments when he needed a chance to regroup and recharge.  When it all got to be too much to bear, he made a point of spending time alone with God in prayer.  While we may not know exactly what was said during those prayer sessions, they always renewed Jesus enough for him to continue along the path set before him.

How do you spend alone-time with God?  Perhaps you read one of the Psalms.  Or quiet your mind and listen to the rain as a way of making room for the Holy Spirit's voice.  Or talk to God as you drive and/or do physical labor.  Or journal.  There are as many different ways of "going up the mountain to pray" as there are people.  The important thing isn't necessarily how we each go about praying during times of exhaustion or distress.  What matters is that we acknowledge that we are at the end of our rope and take time out to let God restore our souls.  God will be there to renew our Spirits and prepare us for our next steps in our lifelong journey of faith and ministry.

When Jesus comes back off the mountain, he is so full of God's Spirit that he literally walks on water before getting back to the hard work of healing the world's ills.  As Christ's living boy on Earth, we can each have faith that our own alone-time with God will give us what we need for the road ahead.  Day by day, our hands will heal the sick; our feet will march for justice; our words will announce the coming reign of God on Earth.  And through our combined efforts and the work of the Holy Spirit among us, the world's will change for the better.  The powers of sin, greed, and self-interest may despise us, but the day is coming when all suffering shall cease.  And on that day, all those who are weary will finally be able to lay down our heavy loads and find our rest in Christ.

When it all feels like to much to bear, go.  Take some time to be alone with the One who knows what it means to be weary and brokenhearted yet who had the faith to persevere until the end.  It may take some time to recharge, but Jesus will give you everything you need to continue with the ministry he has set forth for you to do.  Though we may not feel like we are doing all that much, Christ will make who we are and what we can contribute enough.  In him, we will find the energy to face whatever lies ahead.

Prayer

Jesus, I am weary.  I come to you now to ask you for your help in healing the world's ills.   Restore my soul, and renew my spirit for the work that lies ahead of me.  In particular I ask for your help with  ... [add your special prayer concerns here].  With you to fill and inspire me, Jesus, I know that I will have everything I need to share your love and help heal the word.   Amen.