January 30th, 2025
Written by: Darius J.
15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
When was the last time you were totally by yourself? How about the last time things were quiet? In this digital age, where there’s always a text notification or a cellphone ringing, one may have a better time finding someone who has been struck by lighting than someone who has had a quiet or alone moment recently. Living in a Western society where we are encouraged to advance in our careers, educations and where being a busybody is a badge of honour, having time for silence and solitude feels like a fantasy. Especially if one is also responsible for raising kids, being a spouse, and serving in their local church. We might wonder to ourselves, “Who even has time to be alone?” In fact, with such busy lives, time in silence and solitude can even feel like a waste of our time! Yet, when we look at the example of Jesus' life in scripture, these moments away that we would deem a waste of time, Jesus would see as vital to living a life of honour to the Father.
There are nine known occasions in
scripture, we’re told, that Jesus intentionally goes away to enjoy either a
period of silence, solitude, or both, oftentimes to pray (Mark 1:12, 35;
6:31-32, 46; 14:32; Luke 5:15-16; 6:12-13; Matthew 14:13; 15:29). This reality
in and of itself is shocking, considering the responsibilities that Jesus had
to carry out as the saviour of the world, and all that he had to accomplish in a
short 33 years of life, and even shorter 3 ½ years of ministry. But what’s even
more stunning than the fact that Jesus took breaks is the fact that He
would even take them at all! Jesus' rhythm for rest and removing himself from the chaos of
life was not like us, as many of us only slow down our lives “when we have the
time.” Unlike us, Jesus would abruptly stop and spend time alone with the
Father in what we would view as pivotal and important moments in his life. We see this in our scripture today, when after healing a man with
leprosy, crowds of people sought out Jesus to hear his words and receive
healing from their disease. Jesus, at this moment, does not feel the need to
heal every single person, answer every person’s questions, or preach an
exquisitely long sermon to satisfy the crowd. Instead, the scripture says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and
prayed.” And we should highlight and emphasize on that word 'often'!
Through the man Jesus, one can learn a significant lesson about humanity. If the God of the universe found it essential to rest, seek quiet alone time, and pray, why don’t we? If even Jesus could often find moments of silence and solitude, why aren't we able to? Jesus understood the desperate need humanity has for such silent and solace moments and the value that this alone time, especially in prayer, can have for the soul. If you examine the several verses above of the moments in Jesus' ministry when he went away, you will find that often these moments were the place he found the strength to carry out the will of the Father in his life, such as in the wilderness, or Gethsemane before his death on the cross. I imagine in these moments, Jesus often prayed the prayer he encouraged his disciples to pray in Matthew 6, asking the Father for daily provision, strength to fight temptation, and his will to be done (Matt 6:9-13). These moments accentuate the apparent unity we see Jesus have with the Father in scripture, as he states “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19-20).
I once heard it said that “not having time” is a facade. Instead, we each give time to what’s most important to us. The question becomes: Based on how you spend your time, what’s most important to you? We should follow our saviour's example and prioritize silence and solitude in prayer. In those silent moments, we may hear God's voice more clearly, receive revelation from the Spirit about the deep conditions of our hearts, and find the peace and strength needed in a chaotic world.
Challenge
Schedule 10 minutes of silence, solitude,
and prayer in your week. Maybe it’s in your car, on a walk, or in a silent room
at home. Set a 10-minute timer and rest in God's presence, listening to what He
may say. Continue to make this a regular practice in the coming weeks and see the spiritual difference it makes in your daily walk with the Lord.