Rendezvous, report, rest
September 4th, 2022 – Communion Meditation
I was thinking this week about Jesus’ invitation to his disciples to “rest awhile” after a particularly busy season of ministry with some really high highs and some really low lows. Life often like that, isn’t it? When I was a teenager, I remember thinking, “I don’t have enough free time.” That memory makes me smile now, since I probably had more free time back then than I ever will. We all get the same 24 hours each day. It’s not the amount of time that varies; it’s how we choose to spend it.
Even though the way we spend our time in our adult lives may look quite different for each of us, even quite different at various seasons of our lives, we know this for sure. There will always be vicissitudes in life, ups and downs, highs and lows, a few plans that work out amid a lot of unexpected circumstances.
We might even catch ourselves dreaming about a future time when we’ll have more time or opportunity in our lives to do the things we long to do, to enjoy the things we long to enjoy more, to take better care of our health, to put some healthier habits in place. In the middle of the swirls of life, let’s remember Jesus.
Mark 6:30-31 (The Message) – “The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, ‘Come off by yourselves; let’s take a break and get a little rest.’ For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat.”
In this particular translation of this beloved Scripture, three words stand out to me – rendezvous, report, rest. These are all intentional actions that apply to us today. By stepping aside from the busyness of our lives today to commune with Christ and commune with one another, we are making some intentional choices.
We are choosing to rendezvous with Jesus. A rendezvous is an agreement to meet at a certain time and place. We are choosing to meet with Jesus at this particular time and place to take into ourselves the very life of Christ through the eating of the bread and the drinking of the cup.
We are choosing to report back to God. We can pour our hearts out to Him right now by telling Him honestly, openly, forthrightly exactly where we’re at, how we’re doing, what we’re feeling, our hopes, dreams, disappointments, frustrations, joys, sorrows. Psalm 55:22 (NLT) says, “Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
We are choosing to get a little rest. Sometimes taking a break can be as simple as pausing to breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. Matthew 11:28-29 (NLT) – “Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’”
On the night that Jesus was betrayed, He took the bread and said, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (eat)
Again, Jesus took the cup and said, “This is my blood of the new covenant poured out for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (drink)
