Resting Up
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series IV, Cycle B
Resting Up
The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. (vv. 30-32)
An ethics professor at Princeton Seminary allegedly asked for volunteers for an extra assignment. About half the class, fifteen students, volunteered and met the professor at the library to receive their assignments. The professor divided the students into three groups of five. He held in his hand three envelopes, one for each group, that contained their assignments.
Each group actually had the same assignment: to leave the library and proceed immediately across campus to another building, Stewart Hall. However, each group had a different time limit. The first group had fifteen minutes, and they were informed that arriving tardy would affect their grades.
A couple of minutes after the first group left, the second group received their envelope with instructions to go to Stewart Hall. Their instructions informed the group that they had 45 minutes to complete the task. Then the third group received their instructions that gave them three hours to make it to Stewart Hall.
Unbeknownst to all three groups, the professor had arranged for three drama students to meet them along the way. Close to the library, one of the drama students held his head in his hands and moaned aloud as if in great pain. At the chapel, which was about the halfway point, another thespian laid face down pretending to be unconscious. Finally, on the steps of Stewart Hall, the third drama student was acting out a seizure.
Now the first group of students who had fifteen minutes to arrive at Stewart Hall before it affected their grades, walked past the three ailing actors. None offered assistance. Out of the second group, two of the five group members stopped to offer aid. But the group with three hours to complete the journey was the most helpful. Every member of the group stopped to help at least one of the planted actors.
The professor made a clear point to the seminarians: busyness can distract the people of God from doing the ministry of God. The first group was so task-focused that they were not Christ focused. But the other two groups who were given a more relaxed schedule, were in a better frame of mind to be in ministry.
In the scripture, the disciples had been out on their own preaching, driving out demons, and healing the sick. When they returned, they gathered around Jesus to report on all the ministry that they had been doing. They had helped so many people, but now they were tired. Jesus knew they need a little rest and relaxation so they could refresh themselves for ministry, so he said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while."
The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. (vv. 30-32)
An ethics professor at Princeton Seminary allegedly asked for volunteers for an extra assignment. About half the class, fifteen students, volunteered and met the professor at the library to receive their assignments. The professor divided the students into three groups of five. He held in his hand three envelopes, one for each group, that contained their assignments.
Each group actually had the same assignment: to leave the library and proceed immediately across campus to another building, Stewart Hall. However, each group had a different time limit. The first group had fifteen minutes, and they were informed that arriving tardy would affect their grades.
A couple of minutes after the first group left, the second group received their envelope with instructions to go to Stewart Hall. Their instructions informed the group that they had 45 minutes to complete the task. Then the third group received their instructions that gave them three hours to make it to Stewart Hall.
Unbeknownst to all three groups, the professor had arranged for three drama students to meet them along the way. Close to the library, one of the drama students held his head in his hands and moaned aloud as if in great pain. At the chapel, which was about the halfway point, another thespian laid face down pretending to be unconscious. Finally, on the steps of Stewart Hall, the third drama student was acting out a seizure.
Now the first group of students who had fifteen minutes to arrive at Stewart Hall before it affected their grades, walked past the three ailing actors. None offered assistance. Out of the second group, two of the five group members stopped to offer aid. But the group with three hours to complete the journey was the most helpful. Every member of the group stopped to help at least one of the planted actors.
The professor made a clear point to the seminarians: busyness can distract the people of God from doing the ministry of God. The first group was so task-focused that they were not Christ focused. But the other two groups who were given a more relaxed schedule, were in a better frame of mind to be in ministry.
In the scripture, the disciples had been out on their own preaching, driving out demons, and healing the sick. When they returned, they gathered around Jesus to report on all the ministry that they had been doing. They had helped so many people, but now they were tired. Jesus knew they need a little rest and relaxation so they could refresh themselves for ministry, so he said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while."
