Staycation
I had a friend ask me the other day if I had any plans for a vacation this summer. When I replied that I do not usually do vacations, she said, “How about a ‘staycation?'” Yes, I am a dull and boring person, and probably wouldn’t do that either. I began to wonder if there was any biblical precedence for a vacation? While a text search for “vacation” yielded no exact matches, a suggested match was:
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” For there were so many people coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%206&version=EHV>
It seems that Jesus often tried to getaway to pray and, as we would say, recharge: even up to the garden of Gethsemane on the night he was betrayed. (Matthew 26:36, Mark 14:32, Luke 22:39) The next day, led to the cross. Much like the above passage from St Mark continues:
Many people saw them leave and knew where they were going. They ran there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. When Jesus stepped out of the boat, he saw a large crowd. His heart went out to them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. He began to teach them many things. It was already late in the day when his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already very late. Send them away so they can go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.”
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%206&version=EHV>
Talk about your vacation being cut short! After the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus set out to continue their vacation:
Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself dismissed the crowd. After he had sent them off, he went up the mountain to pray.
When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and Jesus was alone on the land. He saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he went to them, walking on the sea. He was ready to pass by them. When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought he was a ghost, and they cried out. They all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke with them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” Then he climbed up into the boat with them, and the wind stopped. They were completely amazed, because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%206&version=EHV>
It is very tempting to draw a parallel between these disciples’ vacation and the movie “National Lampoon’s Vacation“! Not a thing is going well for the disciples, they are going to need a vacation from their vacation! “They had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.” Does that line seems wildly out of place? Here is your summer vacation homework: What is St Mark trying to do with his allusion to bread? I will give you somethings to consider:
- Just before the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus sends out the twelve: “He instructed them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their money belts.” (Mark 6:8 EHV)
- In the next chapter, the Pharisees asked why the disciples “eat bread with unclean hands.” (7:5)
- Jesus says, ” “Let the children be fed first, because it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to their little dogs.” (7:27 EHV)
- Jesus feeds four thousand in chapter 8.
That is a very short list, there are quite a few more.
As I was composing this, I found that there is a connection with boats and bread in St Mark’s Gospel. I suppose that will be what Jesus will have me do for my vacation: try to make that connection. Does it seem that Jesus doesn’t really understand the concept of vacation planning?
Trust the Promises,
Steve Skiver