Talking it over with Christ.
They had been for some time separated from Christ. It was necessary in order to their becoming healthy and stalwart Christ's men, that they should not continue for ever at Christ's side, but that with something of Him, something of His principles, His Spirit, His wisdom and grace, sown and sunk in them, they should begin to exercise at a distance from Him, clear of the support of His mighty personality.
I. But the Apostles have now returned from the excursion, and are found gathering "together to Him, to tell Him all things, both what they have done and what they have taught." And how beautiful the readiness, the bold unshrinking readiness, they show to rehearse their proceedings at His feet, and to go over the whole story with Him. How suggestive of the patience, the tenderness, the thoughtful forbearance and sympathy, with which he had habitually treated them, and in reliance on which they had learned to be frank and free in exposing themselves before Him had learned not to be afraid to tell Him everything.
II. A review of our activities especially when we have been engaged in any earnest serious work, and even at the close of any period of occupation and effort a review of our activities is always desirable, and often of great importance and value. It reveals points, sometimes of much interest and moment, in connection with them which otherwise would never be observed. We miss the divinely intended lessons and admonitions of our activities unless we review them. They throw off continually indications, revelations of ourselves, which we must look back to see.
III. The Apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus. They brought their activities into the light of His presence; and was not that the very best thing they could do, if they wanted to estimate them rightly and to understand and profit by their teaching? Happy is he whose custom and whose comfort it is to go in to the Lord from time to time, for the purpose of showing Him all things, and reviewing and pondering His life before Him. Let us seek to do this. We shall find the rich help and benefit of it; and our sufficient strength for it will be found in the remembrance that He to whom we are to speak freely is our Father.
S. A. Tipple, Echoes of Spoken Words,p. 43.