The Lord commanded the apostles to separate themselves and rest a while. Each believer today should examine whether is obeying this command of the Lord.
The Bible has been unjustly criticized for stating that believers living in Daniel’s Seventieth Week could be “beheaded for the witness of Jesus.”
Man can, at times, readily recognize problems that arise, but often initially reacts with solutions to remove the problem out of sight. As the disciples looked out over the multitude in today’s passage, they saw thousands in a desert place with a lack of provisions. They quickly viewed what seemed to them as an insurmountable problem. As evening approached, they came to the Lord and suggested that He send the people away. The disciples were more comfortable with the problem if it was out of sight, out of mind, and not theirs to face. Their suggestion was an unacceptable solution. For this reason, the Lord put the problem back upon the disciples when He said to them, “Give ye them to eat” (Mark 6:37). In other words, the problem would not go away or solve itself. The Lord directed the disciples to find a solution and their turning a blind eye was completely unacceptable.
In spite of the rebellion of others, David’s men remained loyal to their king. David’s followers honoured him with their loyalty despite Absalom’s rebellion which caused David and his men to flee from Jerusalem (2 Samuel 15:13-15). David’s men wanted to protect the true king so much that they wanted him to avoid endangering himself by going into battle. David’s men were ready and willing to sacrifice their lives for him but wanted his life preserved at all costs. Their loyalty to David caused them to elevate his desires and needs far above their own needs, wants, and even safety. Unlike many kingdoms of the world, the soldiers were more concerned about the life of the king and the preservation of his kingdom.
Sometimes the Bible conveys some disheartening truths including man’s inability to love the Lord during difficult times. Regrettably, believers are easily offended and sometimes even scattered from the Lord because of a lack of resolve. The Lord prophesied in Zechariah 13:7 concerning His followers’ reaction to His rejection. Though the Lord knows the future, consider how this rejection must have grieved Him when it actually transpired. At a time when any faithful disciple should have been loyal to his Master, those closest to the Lord were instead scattered. The One that fed them when they were hungry (Mark 6:35-44), healed family members when ill (Mark 1:29-31), calmed the troubled waters during the storms (Mark 4:37-41), and taught them many wonderful truths was now the cause of their offence.
God made you! He either made you a male or a female (Genesis 1:27; Matthew 19:4). As such, He expects each of us to act, look, and live like what He made us in every way. Ever more frequently, the world and the Devil have blurred the lines of distinction between male and female. One of the most grievous outcomes of the blurring of distinctions between male and female has resulted in the public’s acceptance of the sin which led to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. God condemned it then and condemns it no less today. The Lord wants men and women to be distinct and look differently in every possible way. As such, He created the genders with obvious physical differences. He even admonished each gender to bear clear and distinct differences in length of hair (1 Corinthians 11:14-15) and commanded them to maintain obvious distinctions in apparel (Deuteronomy 22:5). In other words, focus upon looking like what God created you to be.
If you have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you are no longer appointed to God’s wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9); however, it helps to fully understand God’s hatred for sin. By understanding sin from God’s viewpoint, we can seek to emulate His love for righteousness while never abandoning His abhorrence of wickedness. In the days of king David, the Bible tells us that every man spoke vanity with his neighbour (Psalm 12:2). Men spoke with a double heart and with flattering lips (Psalm 12:2). They claimed that their lips were their own and that they possessed freedom to spew forth anything they chose to say (Psalm 12:4). God promised to rise up in judgment and “cut off all flattering lips” (Psalm 12:3).
It is much easier to serve God together with others rather than alone. There is great wisdom attained through the right kind of fellowship with other like-minded believers. When one believer wavers during times of temptation, his “fellow” believers will encourage him to stay faithful to the Lord’s work. When one of the saints struggles in times of uncertainty, his fellow believers can remind him of God’s faithfulness. The Bible shows us that the early church thrived in the Lord’s work. Those early Christians served the Lord with a great zeal. The secret to their success most definitely included their continuation in fellowship and incorporating some basic principles. For instance, the Lord Jesus sent out His disciples by twos (Mark 6:7) and the early church followed suit (Acts 13:2). God has given us a great insight into the importance of fellowship by emphasizing it so frequently.
Today's passage explores the scene as the Lord met with His eleven apostles for the first time following His resurrection. The word afterward pinpoints the timing of the passage as having occurred after He had appeared to others. For instance, the Lord had already appeared to Mary Magdalene. She told the disciples the great news of Christ's resurrection, but the Bible says that they did not believe her. Shortly thereafter, the Lord appeared directly to the apostles and scolded them for their “unbelief and hardness of heart.” A heart that is tender serves as fertile ground for faith. However, a hardened heart does not allow the seed of faith to grow. Mark 6:52 confirms this principle as it points out that “they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.” Hardness of heart prevented faith in the disciples during that time and will do the same now in any believer who fails to remain tenderhearted.
Athletes understand the importance of being temperate in their training. They incorporate a variety of exercises to strengthen each body part thus maximizing their potential. Limiting training to one aspect causes the athlete to lose his edge. It is important to realize that exercise is only one part of the training regimen. For instance, no serious athlete ignores the importance of a balanced diet rich in nutrients. Dedicated athletes strive for a corruptible crown by implementing temperance in all things. Believers seeking a spiritually incorruptible crown should learn from the athletes who incorporate temperance. An athlete missing out at the finish line results in sadness. The Christian's failure to incorporate balance will cause him to lose rewards at the judgment seat of Christ. This is the greater loss.
