More than Enough
“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.”
Mark 6:30-31
John D. Rockefeller, America’s first billionaire, was once asked by a reporter, “How much money is enough?” to which he responded, “Just a little bit more.”
This is why I think Jesus’ invitation to the disciples in today’s Gospel is so important. They have just finished reporting to Him all they had done and all and they had accomplished—most likely looking for some sort of reaffirmation—when Jesus says to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest for a while.”
I don’t think this was just an invitation to take an afternoon off or go on vacation, although those are important things to do. I think Jesus is issuing an invitation to loosen our shackles and climb out of the cages we've constructed from this cultural myth that more is our ticket to happiness. Jesus invites us to stop, rest and take a step back from all those things that consume us.
The Christian author Henri Nouwen summed it up like this:
“When we enter into solitude to be alone with God, we quickly discover how dependent we are. Without the many distractions of our daily lives, we feel anxious and tense. When nobody speaks to us, calls on us, or needs our help, we start feeling like nobodies. Then we begin wondering whether we are useful, valuable, or significant. Our tendency is to leave this fearful solitude quickly and get busy again to reassure ourselves that we are “somebodies.” But that is a temptation, because what makes us somebodies is not other people’s responses to us but God’s eternal love for us.”[1]
In other words, when we stop striving for more and simply rest in the presence of God, we are reminded of just how much God loves us—not because of anything we’ve done, but because of who God is and what He’s already done for us. When we stop and rest in God, we are reminded we have enough and we are more than enough.
[1] Nouwen, Henri J. M., "Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith:" HarperCollins.
