The Apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
It was important that the Apostles come together to celebrate all that the Lord had accomplished through them. This was so for several reasons. It would help the group who heard to grow in faith as the learned all of the ways in which the Lord could work, all of the things he might choose to do through them. It would also help the one who shared with the others to treasure and what the Lord had done through him and be thankful for it. We might be afraid to come back from a mission like this and talk about our successes for fear of bragging and pride. But the disciples, by talking about what had happened and not concealing it, learned to speak and think about it correctly as the work of God rather than their own. And so, in addition to edifying the others, and edifying the one who shared, the third benefit of recounting the Lord's blessings was the occasion it offered for correction, for a refinement of discernment. We saw this more clearly in the Gospel of Luke after the return of the seventy-two:
The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” ... Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (see Luke 10:17, 10:20).
Humanly speaking, if everything was going as well as it apparently was we might have been reluctant to return to Jesus. Why stop, we might reason, when everything seems to be working so well? The risk is that success could lead to self-satisfaction, to the illusion that we could continue to proceed without the help of Jesus, or, for that matter, without the help of other disciples.
Jesus does send us out, but always so that we can return to him, and to regroup with other disciples in order that we might learn from our own experiences and those of others and be thereby edified. Without this counterpoint to our active work in the world we tend to become confused as to the point or purpose of that active work. It begins to seem like a burden for which we are entirely responsible, and we no longer quite remember why it should be so important. We need Jesus himself and his community to provide the context for what happens in the periods of activity and mission.
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
Jesus does not intend for us to face the task he has given us on our own strength. We are meant to come away with him and experience the rest with which he himself desires to restore us. This means, insofar as is possible or practical, making a temporary escape from the noise and haste, even though there might seem to be a thousand pressing needs, even if it is only a matter of time before the crowd discovers where we've gone. Even a moment matters because it is no merely human rest that we receive. Jesus desires to give us a rest that is a profound supernatural reality, the same rest that God pledged to give his people in the promised land (see Exodus 33:14), which is now revealed to be wherever Jesus himself abides.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
It may seem all too soon before the crowds discover us and our time alone with Jesus is interrupted. But our time with Jesus should help us to meet the pressing crowds as Jesus did, with hearts moved with pity for them, recognizing their need, willing to see them draw them into the rest Jesus first desired to give us. We will not feel jealous as Jesus shares and widens this place of rest to all of the sheep. All of those who long for green pastures stand in this same fundamental need of the shepherd. This apparent interruption can still be an invitation to lay down together with them in the pastures of the Good Shepherd.
Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart
to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.
As disciples of the Lord entrusted with the mission of his Kingdom we need listening hearts like the one for which Solomon prayed. In some sense we know that this prayer was already answered in us by the gift of the Holy Spirit that we received at Baptism, and that was strengthened in Confirmation. But we also know that all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit should not be taken for granted. We must return to Jesus to be recharged, so that the gifts may fan into flame.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you (see James 1:5).
We go out into the world relying on the wisdom we have received, but we return to Jesus and his disciples to confirm and continue to grow in that and all of the gifts. He sees that we ourselves are tired and need to be refreshed, that the crowds are hungry, in need of nourishment. He desires to give us all his word to nourish us and give us the strength to continue our pilgrimage, to fulfill our mission.
With all my heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commands.
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