Then I will gather my flock out of all the lands, and I will bring them back to
their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply, and they shall not fear any
longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.

In this passage from Jeremiah (23:3-4), the Lord God, through the prophet,
assures his people that after the hardship of their long exile in Babylonian
captivity, they will be restored, their suffering ended, and they will prosper.

Today’s readings are about encouragement and reassurance and comfort.
They are restorative. Other Sundays are more challenging, with lessons
from the prophets to the Beatitudes to the Crucifixion which teach us that
the highest Christian calling is to be persecuted for his sake. But today the
emphasis is different. Today, the words are comfortable.

The 23rd Psalm expresses comfort better than anything else ever has.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will
dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The emphasis is on verse 4: Yea,
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23 is often read at memorial services, and rightly so. But before
death, we have all been in shadowy valleys. We might be today, if we are
in pain, or have suffered a terrible loss or estrangement, or fearful
diagnosis. There is no comfort for that, except to trust in the words, thou art
with me.

The Psalms are a rich vein of words of comfort. Ps. 46 says, “God is our
hope and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will we not
fear, though the earth be moved, and though the hills be carried into the
sea. Be still then, and know that I am God; The Lord of hosts is with us.”

We come to today’s gospel. Earlier, Jesus had sent his disciples out on
their mission. He gave them authority over unclean spirits. They went and
preached repentance and cast out demons and anointed the sick with oil.

Now they are back with Jesus to be debriefed, and they are exhausted.
Jesus tells them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and
rest awhile.” The RSV says, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place,
and rest a while.” The KJV says, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert
place, and rest a while.”

What an absolutely unexpected and wonderful thing for Jesus to say! Now
there is no more chastising or reprimanding or impatience or teaching or
riddles or parables; just this unqualified expression of welcoming, and an
invitation – Come away and rest a while.

There is more to Mark’s account this morning, but these are Jesus’ only
words. They express Our Lord’s understanding and sympathy and
compassion for his faithful, loyal and tired friends. They remind us of
Matthew (11:28-29), “Come to me, all you that are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest; for I am gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Through twenty centuries, countless souls have found comfort and rest in
His sweet love. Faith in Jesus was essential in the lives of American
slaves; it got them through. The 1940 Hymnal had, What a friend we have
in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! Our hymn 67, also Handel’s
Messiah, from Isaiah 40:1, all say, “Comfort, O comfort ye my people.”

So, how might we come away and rest a while? We might make an
appointment with ourselves. We make dates with all kinds of other people;
we could likewise make appointments with ourselves. We could put away
our phones. The stuff on them is stimulating and compelling, but distracting
and addictive. It is also designed to agitate. So, put away phones.

An especially restful activity for me is social companionship. Socializing: it
can be remarkably restorative to enjoy time with agreeable people, to take
us up out of ourselves. When Jesus’ disciples went away in that boat to
rest a while, they went with their friends.

Then take time to be with Jesus. Make a regularly scheduled appointment
with Him. A time when we let go, and put down all the stuff of our lives. A
time when we go someplace quiet just to be with Him, and share with Him
what is on our hearts – our inmost concerns we share with no one else.
And then listen; hear Him answering us and feel Him loving us.

Many of us are weary. We are worn down from carrying our burdens, of
illness or loneliness or guilt or caregiving or separation or loss or anxiety or
depression or our sense of injustice. Jesus offers us comfort and rest. By
this we get to God’s peace, that state of inner calm and serenity that lets us
live with poise and dignity and confidence and charity and grace.

Jesus said to the disciples, “Come away to a deserted place by yourselves
and rest a while.”

God be praised. Love your neighbor. Amen