Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” You can easily imagine the disciples being excited that Jesus recognized how hard they had been working and proposed some vacation days, some rest, some “me” time. When that didn’t work out as planned because at the sight of the great crowd Jesus was moved with pity for they were like sheep without a shepherd. The gospel of Mark does not record what the reaction of the disciples was. If it was me, I confess, I would have been resentful. “C’mon Jesus, you promised us a break. These needs will still be there tomorrow. Don’t we deserve a day off.” What Jesus knew was that there are certain moments (the Greeks even had a word for it, kairos) which demand immediate attention. By delaying that apology, neglecting the invitation, not intervening in the crisis we too often miss the kairos which would have made all the difference.
