In Mark 1:35-38 we read that Jesus got up early one morning, found a solitary place, and prayed. Soon, his disciples found him and said, “Everybody’s looking for you!” When I had studied this passage before, that’s as far as I had gone, understanding that in order to “get the job done,” even Jesus went off to pray and “recharge.” But recently, I learned something new.
Jesus had been traveling, preaching, teaching, healing, and driving out demons. Mark 1:28 says that news about Jesus spread through the whole region, and verse 33 said that “the whole town gathered at the door.” Jesus was doing amazing things, and the people wanted more. But when the disciples found Jesus, to let him know that there were people looking for him, instead of going back and healing more people or casting out more demons, Jesus said, in Mark 1:38, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
Having read and studied this passage many times, I am suddenly amazed to discover that Jesus said “no” to doing good things. Jesus had something more important to do.
We have all heard how we need to reduce our busyness and focus on what’s important, and we struggle to do that every day. Perhaps we need to consider the good things, too. Mark’s sermon on January 23 made this clear to me. Even though I spend much of my time doing good things within the building, working with leaders, running programs, and interacting with people, I have to force myself to consider whether those things are helping me be a witness of Jesus. To be honest, there are too many good things that occupy my time and my mind at the expense of better things, such as sharing my faith with my favorite baristas, training others to share their faith with their coworkers and families, and raising my kids to love God. I’d appreciate your help with this as we all grow and serve together, even if it means saying “no” sometimes.