The Value and Limitations of Retreats

Luke 9:10-11 - On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing.

The twelve disciples had just finished their first ministry trip. They had walked long distances in teams of two, preaching and healing. They were physically exhausted. However, they were emotionally and physically excited at the lives God changed through them. They wanted to tell Jesus everything that had happened. This was a key opportunity for Jesus to debrief with them, help them understand what had happened, and better prepare them for their future ministry. A time of rest, reflection, and planning for the future was a very wise, invaluable step, so Jesus “took them and withdrew.”

That retreat was short lived. Crowds of people heard about Jesus’ leaving. They saw he and the disciples go, and they followed. When that happened, Jesus could have put the priority on the retreat and told the crowds to go home, but he didn’t. The mission continued. He interrupted the retreat to help the people, because, ultimately, they were the real mission.

There are times we plan for something good that we should be able to reasonably expect but something – or, more often, someone – will interrupt. Some of these interruptions are opportunities that require us to say no to the good (that benefits us) in order to say yes to the best (that benefits others).