The Savior of the World Takes a Break

The Gospel According to Mark is the shortest gospel. It races along at an exhausting tempo. Mark's frequent use of the word "immediately" (which he uses forty-one times) speeds the reader along at a riveting pace. During this season of Epiphany we are only twenty-eight verses into Mark's account and already we've encountered the word "immediately" six times:

• In Jesus' baptism: "And immediately coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened..." (Mark 1:10)
• In Jesus' temptation in the wilderness: "And immediately the Spirit impelled him to go out into the wilderness." (Mark 1:12)
• In the calling of the disciples: "And they immediately left the nets and followed him... And immediately he called them" (Mark 1:18, 20)
• In battling evil powers: "And immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue..." (Mark 1:21)
• And the pace shows no sign of letting up: "And immediately the news about him went out everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee." (Mark 1:28)

Now Jesus adds healing the sick to his repertoire (Mark 1:29-30; notice Mark uses the word "immediately" two more times). As a result Jesus becomes even more popular. After healing Simon's mother-in-law in private, the word gets out and a large crowd gathers in the evening around Simon's house. They may have come sooner, but in order to honor the Sabbath, they wait until it is over: "And when evening had come, after the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door" (Mark 1:32-33).

Jesus is enormously popular - a true superstar! But there is a dark side to this. Jesus begins to realize that the crowds seek him out, but not for the right reasons. They come, not to hear the gospel of the kingdom, but to see and experience Jesus' miracles. As in the previous account of Jesus' exorcism in the synagogue, the crowds are amazed and astonished - but these reactions should not be confused with faith. Certainly, Jesus' miracles are a sign of kingdom, but they don't necessarily lead to faith. The Pharisees illustrate this truth: Even though they are clearly aware that Jesus is a miracle-worker, they don't believe his message.

Jesus knows that his main reason for coming is to preach the gospel of the kingdom. He knows that it is preaching that leads to faith. Jesus brings a message that calls for action - repentance and belief (see Mark 1:15). But he finds that his message is obscured by his miracles. His call for repentance and belief is drowned out in the buzz and excitement. Dianne Bergant summarizes the difficult situation Jesus finds himself in:  

Jesus realizes that the crowds are coming because they want miracles. He, on the other hand, wants crowds to come to hear the gospel he will preach, yet he still performs miracles. The demons seem to know who he is and what he is about, while his followers and the crowds he attracts misunderstand him and his mission. Everything in this episode is complicated.[1]

Unfortunately, the complex situation shows no signs of letting up.  

Clearly, the needs were great. How would Jesus meet them all? Especially when he cannot stop to catch his breath! His explosive popularity makes it difficult for him to rest. Where would he get the strength to keep up the pace? How could he keep his ministry from becoming a traveling miracle show - a sideshow spectacle and nothing more?

A Quiet Place

In order to regain perspective, Jesus leaves the crowds and seeks the presence of God: "In the [early] morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed" (Mark 1:35). Wilhelm comments: "We sense his weariness and frustration in the aftermath of his first two days of public ministry when Jesus leaves well before dawn, under cover of darkness and without telling his disciples where he is going."[2]

Jesus seeks a deserted or lonely place to commune with God - to refresh his strength and renew his focus. "Throughout the Bible, the desert is the place where people meet God, because there is nothing much there to distract them from God."[3] The "loneliness" of the place allows him to spend time in solitude and silence with God. It allows him time for reflection.

Unfortunately, he is not entirely successful. His peace is interrupted by Simon, who hunts him down and declares: "What are you doing? Everyone is looking for you!" Simon expresses the disciples' disapproval. Like a modern day political handler Simon wishes to move his weary candidate along, informing Jesus that he needs to get back to work. "Simon and the others seem to have thoroughly disapproved of this 'unrealistic' strategy in withdrawing from the bustle and opportunity of Capernaum to the silence of a lonely spot."<[4]

The disciples are puzzled by Jesus' behavior. From their vantage point, things are going extremely well. Clearly, they do not perceive Jesus' popularity as an impediment to his ministry. Unable to "get it" they attempt to rouse Jesus away from his chosen wilderness in order to get him to do something "useful". They misunderstand Jesus' priorities - a tension that is a major theme of Mark's gospel. "Those who should know Jesus best seem so often to understand him least."[5] Indeed, each time Jesus attempts private prayer (see Mark 6:45-46; 11:32ff.), people interrupt him.

But Jesus comes away from his chosen isolation refreshed and refocused. "Arising out of his experience of prayer, Jesus had a renewed sense of focus and a larger sense of mission to others."[6] And Jesus surprises the disciples with his desire to move on. He tells them, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do" (Mark 1:38).

In spite of the heightened local interest roused by his healing work, Jesus will not let the crowds determine his mission. The point of his coming is not popularity, but preaching. His time alone with God frees him from the pressure of others' expectations. Jesus will play to an audience of One.

Jesus' time of private prayer speaks to us of the importance of solitude in the life and practice of faith. More than a refuge from the pressures of life or an opportunity for divine intimacy, Jesus' encounter with God in prayer also enlarges his sense of divine vision and mission in the world. When Jesus emerges from private prayer, he arises with new energy and clarity that includes a wider vision of God's reign and mission to others.[7]

Silence and Solitude

The need was great in Jesus' time, just as it is in ours. But great need did not thwart Jesus from pursuing that which was most important - intimacy with God. "Although Jesus lived in unbroken fellowship with God, it was his regular habit to devote the early morning hours of the day to prayer. Though he practiced God's presence at all times, he did not neglect an early morning rendezvous with God."[8] Jesus needed this time to refresh and refocus.

If Jesus needed times of withdrawal - time alone to pray - how much more is this true for us.

Given the demands that are placed upon our time, our energies, our resources that are simply a part of living from day to day, particularly as we seek to be faithful and wise students for the glory of God. Everyday there are needs to be met, decisions to be made, business to be attended to. Everyday there are people to relate to, conflicts to be resolved, actions that require more than we in our own strength alone can achieve.

If Jesus needed help, what about you and me?[9]

Jesus set apart time for private communion with God. His rendezvous with God at an appointed time and place was a vital part of his spirituality. He did not leave this to chance. His appointments with God were scheduled and fiercely guarded. These times not only refreshed him, but also allowed him to gain renewed focus on what was essential - what his true calling was.

If we are not careful, the non-essentials of life may easily crowd out the essentials. No matter how prominent or popular our ministry, there is always the danger that we will come to define ourselves according to the pressure of the crowd, rather than our relationship to God.

Although many things are important, what is essential? ... Just as Jesus experienced an endless stream of cries for help, we are barraged with pleas wherever we turn: our mailboxes overflow with umsolicited requests for money, community meetings and school board gatherings urge us to commit time and energy to an array of complex problems, and countless church-related programs vie for our attention. But what does God in Christ call us to do now, at this particular place and this particular time? Like Jesus, we must prayerfully listen to God and ask ourselves whether our sense of mission and ministry is compatible with Jesus' vision of proclaiming God's just and loving reign.[10]

Like Jesus, we need the refreshment and focus that comes from solitude with God. Henri Nouwen writes, "Without solitude it is virtually impossible to live a spiritual life. ... We do not take the spiritual life seriously if we do not set aside some time to be with God and listen to him." Without quiet times with God, we run the risk of being caught up in ceaseless activity. But God waits outside the noise and busyness of our lives. When we are silent and alone before God, we open ourselves up "to influences crowded out of an occupied life."[11]

How do we do this? It begins by simply making a choice to pursue solitude with God.  

Solitude begins with a time and place for God, and God alone. If we really believe not only that God exists but also that God is actively present in our lives--healing, teaching, and guiding--we need to set aside a time and space to give God our undivided attention.[12]

This is easier said than done:

As soon as we are alone, without people to talk with, books to read, TV to watch, or phone calls to make, an inner chaos opens up in us. This chaos can be so disturbing and so confusing that we can hardly wait to get busy again. Entering a private room and shutting the door, therefore, does not mean that we immediately shut out all our inner doubts, anxieties, fears, bad memories, unresolved conflicts, angry feelings, and impulsive desires. On the contrary, when we have removed our outer distractions, we often find that our inner distractions manifest themselves to us in full force. We often use the outer distractions to shield ourselves from the interior noises. It is thus not surprising that we have a difficult time being alone. The confrontation with our inner conflicts can be too painful for us to endure.

This makes the discipline of solitude all the more important.[13]

As Nouwen notes, solitude is difficult because of the endless amount of distractions - both internal and external - that we must overcome. We tend to fill the silence rather than seek silence. We are part of a culture addicted to amusement, noise, and music. Our pagers, Blackberries, cell-phones, radios, television, internet - even our schedules - are gifts that keep us connected and productive, but they also can drown out the voice of God in our lives.

Perhaps no one has done a better job of analyzing our situation than the seventeenth century mathematician and theologian, Blaise Pascal. In his Pensees - a collection of thoughts Pascal hoped to put together in a book - Pascal makes pointed (and often uncomfortable) observations concerning our situation. He writes, "I have often felt that the sole cause of man's unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his own room." For Pascal, the human condition "is one of inconsistency, of boredom, and of anxiety." He believed that we possess a "strange disorder" that causes us to fill our lives with trivia and lose sight of matters of major importance.

Our slavery to endless distractions is proof that we are not truly happy, for if we were happy "we would not need to distract ourselves from thinking about it." Pascal writes,

This is how the whole of our life slips by. We seek repose by battling against certain obstacles, and once they are overcome we find rest is unbearable because of the boredom it generates. We have to get away from it all, and so we then go around begging for new excitement. We can't imagine a condition that is pleasant without fun and noise. We assume that every condition is agreeable in which we can enjoy some sort of distraction. But think what kind of happiness it is that consists merely in being diverted from thinking about ourselves!

Tragically, "distraction is the only thing that consoles us for our miseries. Yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries. For above all, it is that which keeps us from thinking about ourselves and so leads us imperceptibly to our destruction."

What would Pascal say to us in our modern day world of endless distractions and constant noise? In his book, Help Me, I'm Falling! Keith Wagner summarizes our dilemma well:

We live in a hi-tech, fast pace, workaholic world where no one rests. We are constantly on the road, running errands, going places. We stuff ourselves with "fast food," overbook our lives with a myriad of things to do, and at the end of the day we are totally exhausted. We live (and die) by the clock. We are controlled by the need to produce. Time is money, time is how we keep in control of our lives. We resist quiet time by keeping the radios, televisions and computers on. The very thought of being alone, praying, scares us to death. We want professionals to do that for us. We haven't learned that relaxation and meditation breaks will empower us to do even greater things. Thus, we continue to be busy. Consequently we are on a path to self-destruction, unable to help others, let alone help ourselves.

We need a lonely place

where phones do not ring and loud voices all shouting at once do not compete for our attention. A lonely place where we can hear ourselves think, feel our own calmed breathing, rediscover the inner rhythms which seek in vain to regulate our lives. A lonely place where we can listen to the wind rippling through the trees or, perhaps, to the full and wise sound of stillness. A lonely place free from the cant of television and the condemnation of calendars. A place of tranquil rest and blessed retreat.<[14]

A quiet place with God frees us "from all other distractions so that God can empower us and refresh us. Then and only then can we help others as the power of God flows through us."[15]

Personal time with God was a high priority for Jesus. We also need a quiet respite from the constant stream of cultural chatter in order that we might hear the voice of God. We never have to wonder whether God desires this - God always seeks us! What we need is to simply set apart a time and a place to seek God. Though the time and the place will be different for all of us, C. S. Lewis highlights the advantage of doing this first thing in the morning:

The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.

If we intentionally seek solitude, we should be prepared not only for distractions, but also for the disapproval of others. Even Jesus' own disciples did not understand his need for time away with God. They felt he was wasting time, being unproductive, and not taking advantage of an opportune moment. Bonnie Thurston warns us, "if you go to the desert, you may be sure someone will tell you that you are being useless."[16]

Maybe this is why we so often fail to practice the discipline of solitude: it seems so useless; yet it is the most necessary practice. We can survive without it, but we cannot truly live without it. It was the secret of Jesus' effectiveness, and it can be ours, as well. If the Savior of the world needed a break - time alone with God - then certainly we (who are not the saviors of the world) could use one also.

Conclusion

"Few people cultivate the rich soil of solitude and prayer out of which, paradoxically, our greatest energy and loving service to others arises."[17] This time alone with God is more than simply being "awake" or "aware." It is neither simply practicing "the eternal now" nor is it simply time off to rest. It involves quieting the heart before God in order to find refreshment and focus in God.

This takes planning. It does not just happen. Cynthia Hale writes

Let's be totally honest, shall we? Most of our meetings with God are not planned. Our prayers are occasional, spontaneous, spur of the moment prayers. If we meet with God, it's usually an emergency or a crisis. Our backs are up against the wall, bills are due, a child is sick, it's the end of the semester and there are exams to take, too many papers to write, too many proposals to get in, we need help. I know what I'll do, we say, we'll call God. If the truth be told, we have tried everything else, now we will try God.[18]

Let's not wait until we've tried everything else to try God. Let's take our spiritual life seriously and schedule time alone with God. Jesus did it - and it was the secret to his effectiveness. We should do the same.

© Richard J. Vincent, 2009