Mark 1:35-39 - Very early in the morning, while it
was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place,
where he prayed. Simon and his
companions went to look for him, and
when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby
villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching
in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Jesus has just been
up late the preceding night healing folks in Simon Peter’s home village. The next morning, awakening early, He senses the
need to spend some time alone, so he walks off to do just that. This short account establishes for us what
will be a pattern in the life of ministry of Jesus. He engages fully with the needs of people for
a time, then he withdraws to be alone to refresh and renew His commitment to
engage again. Jesus makes rest and
renewal a priority as a essential part of being in mission.
Also in this short account, we see Jesus making the decision
to move on to the next town even though the people are looking for Him to stay
and take care of more of their needs. This
could be interpreted in many different ways (some of them even negative) but
Jesus Himself states the reason; my mission is to visit as many towns /synagogues
as possible to announce that the Kingdom of God has arrived. It would be tempting to stay where He is
already loved and needed, but Jesus presses on to complete his appointed work, even
though doing so will undoubtedly be disappointing to many.
These four short verses have a lot to say about following a
calling. Staying committed to a mission
requires being also committed to taking care of yourself AND being clear enough
about what needs to be done that you are willing to say “no” to the
expectations of others. If this is true
of Jesus, how much more true would it be for us?
Questions: What is
one step that you need to take to take better care of yourself so that you can
be better prepared to do the good work that is yours to do? Do others’ expectations of you ever get in
the way of doing that good work?
Prayer: Holy Spirit,
help us see our limitations clearly enough that we are aware of how to take
good care of ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Make it obvious what You have called us to do
and the decisions we need to make to follow that calling. Amen.
Prayer Focus: Pray
for staff members of churches you are affiliated with today. If you are not affiliated with a church, pray for people you know who work for or are
volunteers at a non-profit you know.
Song: Be Still – The Fray
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