Dear Friends,
If you’ve got Bible-reading friends, it is not uncommon when you’re feeling harassed and harried by life to be reminded that even Jesus took time to go away alone to pray. Those friends are right, and taking time for silence and prayer is certainly a good idea. However, what people, even Bible-reading people, often overlook, is how little time Jesus is allowed to rest in peace and quiet.
This Sunday, we’ll hear again how Jesus sought time away from the crowds and for himself in prayer: “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray” (Matthew 14:23). This echoes the words we heard last Sunday: “Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself” (Matthew 14:13). Twice in one chapter, Jesus seeks time away for reflection after receiving bad news or after hard work. In both, though, Jesus is interrupted by need. First, the crowds follow him, the ones who are sick and hungry, the ones he heals and feeds. The second time, soon after he goes to pray, he sees that the boat his friends are in is being battered by waves; he walks out to them.
Yes, Jesus models the need for “alone time,” “quiet time” for recovery and for connection with God. But this is not the “me time” of self care, for Jesus is called out again and again to meet the needs of the people because they are “harassed and helpless like lost sheep,” and he is the Good Shepherd who cares first for his sheep. We know God in silence and in time alone in prayer, but we also know God when we meet people in their need. And we can be certain that Jesus is never too busy, never so in need of “me time” that he won’t come to us in our time of need.
See you in church!
Faithfully, Suzanne+