Invited to Come Away and Pray

We have been reading through the first chapter of Mark, and in today’s reading Jesus and the first four disciples go to the house of Simon and Andrew. There they find Simon’s mother-in-law is sick with a fever. Jesus heals her. Then that evening, everyone in the town gathers in front of Simon’s house, and Jesus heals many who are ill or afflicted with demons. The next morning Jesus goes out by himself to find a deserted place where he can pray. Thus he makes himself unavailable to the crowds and available to God, to abide in God’s love and support. It is an example for us. Although God is with us at all times, to secure time to be alone with God, to express our love for God and to feel God’s love for us, is critical. Amazingly, after that time of communion with God Jesus did not return to Capernaum to heal people. Instead, he insisted that his mission has been clarified in that one-on-one with God, and his mission is to spread the Good News to other people and towns. As individuals and as a congregation, we must follow the example of Jesus to be people of prayer.