And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.” Luke 9:10 NKJV.
Reflection: what is the purpose of giving a report of your work to a boss?
“Did you clean your room?” I’m sure all of us have heard something similar from a parent growing up. We learn early the need to report on work we have been tasked to do, even as simple as cleaning our room or taking the trash out. And when we eventually start working, we will have a boss who is expecting a report on our work. But,
why is a report so important?
Part of my career and training was as a Project Manager, managing large projects, with dozens of people in different roles doing work around the world. And my job was to oversee and manage all of it, to make sure we completed projects on time, etc. I needed to know status of the work done, progress, what was going wrong, and who needed help.
A large project is a huge team effort, and the team needs constant attention, support and encouragement. My work therefore was to guide and encourage not only the team, but also individuals on the team, to help them understand how they fit in the big picture, why their role and work was so critical to our success. Their reporting was critical for me to be able to do that.
We read previously that Jesus sent his disciples out with power and authority to proclaim the gospel and to heal the sick. And today we read what happened when they came back. It says that they
“told Him all that they had done.”
In other words, they provided him a full report on their work, what happened. And we might wonder, didn’t Jesus already know this? Even if he did, he needed to help them. To have them recognize what worked and didn’t work, their successes and challenges in fulfilling the work, the mission he sent them out to do. As mentioned above, the individual disciple needed encouragement and guidance. To see how their work fit in the bigger picture. It was for their benefit, so that he could guide and encourage them. And, it was for the benefit of the team, to listen to other team members, to encourage and draw strength from each other.
It made me think today, do I report back to the Lord when he has asked me to do something? Do I recognize that the task the Lord is asking me to do today is most likely part of something much bigger? To share with him what happened, what went well and what I struggled with, so that he can guide and encourage me for the next task? I think I often have missed this, and thereby missed his guidance and encouragement.
So today, let’s learn from the disciples and not only do what he asks us to do, but to tell him all that we have done. So we can receive his encouragement and guidance for the path forward.