This verse can slip right by us as we read this inspiring chapter. But it ought not to. Jesus was weary. He was not impervious to the basic human needs of food and rest. Jesus was a busy person. He had just walked a long distance. He needed rest. In fact, He was so weary His disciples left Him behind at the well while they went foraging for food.
Can God use us when we are tired? Can we still exert a spiritual influence even when we are weary to the bone? We can, if we remain alert.
Consider how many opportunities to serve God we have missed because we were distracted by our physical needs. We were hungry as we entered the restaurant and so we had no time to engage our waiter in small talk. We were exhausted at day’s end and so we declined to play basketball with our teenage son in the driveway when we arrived home. We were tired as we sat in our seat on the plane and so we closed our eyes to rest instead of engaging our fellow passenger next to us in conversation.
Don’t ever assume that because you are tired or hungry or busy that you are “off duty” from God!