Alone with God
Reading for Friday March 23
Bible section: Mark 6:45
Between the feeding of five thousand people and the mass healings at the land of Gennesarat Jesus chiseled out a time for prayer. He dismissed the 5,000 who appeared to leave willingly having had their minds and their stomachs filled. He may have had more trouble getting the disciples to leave; the reading says he ‘made’ them leave.
Then he went into the hills, alone, to be with God. What did he pray about and why? We know the answer. Jesus’ whole life was focused on understanding the will of God and doing it. Finding the will of God requires prayer, doing the will of God requires much prayer.
It is interesting to me, at this time in our lives, that Jesus did not find out the will of God in order to enforce it on other people. He found out the will of God in order to do it himself. Because he did the will of God he accomplished what could not have been done by force. I think it is the same for us, people who believe Jesus. We can do more for God by finding and doing his will ourselves than we could ever do by trying to force other people to some man-made opinion of God’s laws. Therefore let us always seek the will of God, and when we believe we have found it, let us pray often and earnestly that we may do it. For in doing this we become partners with Jesus, God uses our lives to convince other people that he is God, and that union with him is possible and crucial for every individual.
Jesus prayer was therefore not about himself but about the will of God and how he could conform to it. Jesus purposely shared in the humanity of the people he was going to bring into union with God. It was necessary that he be made like humanity in every way so that he might become our priest, understanding our lives, and in fact praying for us, even in heaven, where he is re-united with God the Father, and still interceding on our behalf. Because he shared our humanity he was tempted like other humans. What temptations accompanied him as he made his way up the hills to pray? We can guess, because we know that the national population wanted him to be an earthly king and supply their needs for revolt against Rome through his miraculous power. We also know that he and the disciples had been too busy to even eat, a few days before, and that it was evening now.
The determining focus of Jesus’ life was the will of God. He found out the will of God like any other human does, by reading the Jewish scriptures. They contained references to God’s servant and God’s anointed one.
Now he goes to pray. Prayer is such a strange thing. It consists of words, mere words. Words addressed aloud or silently to God who is unseen. Faith is present whenever a person addresses God. So many people are praying at this time in the history of the world. Wherever they seek the will of God and correctly understand it, their prayers are heard. The private silent prayers and the public prayers of the people obedient to God will always direct history. Even though people in power will imagine they were in charge at the time. Therefore let everyone who reverences God join to pray mightily that God will make us agents of his good and peaceable will.
Jesus knew that the will of God was that not one human might be deteriorating out of contact with him, but that every one would return to him, first in faith, then in obedience born of faith and the assurance that God is good and has plans for humanity and will bring those plans to reality.
Leaving the mountain where he had prayed, Jesus returned to the shore and walked on water to where the disciples were rowing against a contrary wind. He entered their boat and the wind died down. Our lives are like that boat, we intend to do well, we strive strongly to do well, but many things are against us. When Jesus comes into our lives he controls the forces that were against us and we are able to remain on course. Present with us, he explains our journey, so that by faith, we see horizons beyond the shore line and understand that we are journeying to a glory shared with God.
Hebrews 2.14-18, John 8:46, Romans 8:34, Isaiah 53:12,
Bible section: Mark 6:45
Between the feeding of five thousand people and the mass healings at the land of Gennesarat Jesus chiseled out a time for prayer. He dismissed the 5,000 who appeared to leave willingly having had their minds and their stomachs filled. He may have had more trouble getting the disciples to leave; the reading says he ‘made’ them leave.
Then he went into the hills, alone, to be with God. What did he pray about and why? We know the answer. Jesus’ whole life was focused on understanding the will of God and doing it. Finding the will of God requires prayer, doing the will of God requires much prayer.
It is interesting to me, at this time in our lives, that Jesus did not find out the will of God in order to enforce it on other people. He found out the will of God in order to do it himself. Because he did the will of God he accomplished what could not have been done by force. I think it is the same for us, people who believe Jesus. We can do more for God by finding and doing his will ourselves than we could ever do by trying to force other people to some man-made opinion of God’s laws. Therefore let us always seek the will of God, and when we believe we have found it, let us pray often and earnestly that we may do it. For in doing this we become partners with Jesus, God uses our lives to convince other people that he is God, and that union with him is possible and crucial for every individual.
Jesus prayer was therefore not about himself but about the will of God and how he could conform to it. Jesus purposely shared in the humanity of the people he was going to bring into union with God. It was necessary that he be made like humanity in every way so that he might become our priest, understanding our lives, and in fact praying for us, even in heaven, where he is re-united with God the Father, and still interceding on our behalf. Because he shared our humanity he was tempted like other humans. What temptations accompanied him as he made his way up the hills to pray? We can guess, because we know that the national population wanted him to be an earthly king and supply their needs for revolt against Rome through his miraculous power. We also know that he and the disciples had been too busy to even eat, a few days before, and that it was evening now.
The determining focus of Jesus’ life was the will of God. He found out the will of God like any other human does, by reading the Jewish scriptures. They contained references to God’s servant and God’s anointed one.
Now he goes to pray. Prayer is such a strange thing. It consists of words, mere words. Words addressed aloud or silently to God who is unseen. Faith is present whenever a person addresses God. So many people are praying at this time in the history of the world. Wherever they seek the will of God and correctly understand it, their prayers are heard. The private silent prayers and the public prayers of the people obedient to God will always direct history. Even though people in power will imagine they were in charge at the time. Therefore let everyone who reverences God join to pray mightily that God will make us agents of his good and peaceable will.
Jesus knew that the will of God was that not one human might be deteriorating out of contact with him, but that every one would return to him, first in faith, then in obedience born of faith and the assurance that God is good and has plans for humanity and will bring those plans to reality.
Leaving the mountain where he had prayed, Jesus returned to the shore and walked on water to where the disciples were rowing against a contrary wind. He entered their boat and the wind died down. Our lives are like that boat, we intend to do well, we strive strongly to do well, but many things are against us. When Jesus comes into our lives he controls the forces that were against us and we are able to remain on course. Present with us, he explains our journey, so that by faith, we see horizons beyond the shore line and understand that we are journeying to a glory shared with God.
Hebrews 2.14-18, John 8:46, Romans 8:34, Isaiah 53:12,
posted by Jessie Coates at 9:22 PM
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