Jesus is pictured in today's text as wanting a break. Nonstop teaching and preaching before huge, pressing crowds had left him drained and exhausted. Note the abruptness about verses 35-36. Jesus offers no dismissal to the crowd. He extends no final blessing over them. Instead, he turns to his disciples and announces, "We're out of here;" or in more traditional verbiage, "Let us go across to the other side."

Their movement is immediate. The disciples "leave" the crowd but the Greek used here, aphiemi, could also be translated as "abandoned." This is no gentle easing away or gradually closing up shop. At Jesus' word, they simply get up and go without any further concern for the crowd. As abrupt as the disciples' actions may appear, however, it seems Jesus is even further ahead of them. T…