Bone-Tired

 

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. (Mark 1:35-39 ESV).

 

Wednesdays are the most difficult days for me. I usually leave the house around 8:30 am for a schedule that begins at 10 am and ends at 8 pm. Many of those days don’t have any scheduled gaps for breaks. I know that’s completely within my control. I do the scheduling in my counseling; however, since I have chosen to do it this way, I also know that I have chosen to be “bone-tired” at the end of the day when I make the 45-minute drive home and finally collapse into my recliner!

 

Jesus knew this feeling very well. In the series “The Chosen,” one episode depicts Jesus returning to a camp where he and his disciples are staying for the night. It is late, and Jesus has spent the day healing crowds of people. He stumbles into camp, exhausted from the day’s ministry. The disciples can only watch him, surprised at how tired he is. His teaching and healing work must have been exhausting. Though he was fully God, Jesus was also fully human, so he got tired and needed sleep (cf. Mark 4:38; John 4:6).

 

Our reading for today explains that after a long day of teaching and healing, Jesus rose early in the morning to pray. Jesus needed time to connect with his Father in prayer, resting in his Father’s presence and focusing on his purpose. He had come to do much more than heal people in Capernaum, even though that was clearly important while he was there. When the disciples went out and found him, he said, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”

 

Jesus spent time in prayer with his Father, and he remained focused on his purpose. If this was important to Jesus, it is certainly important for his followers too. Let’s be sure to spend personal time with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each day. It will refresh and renew your mind and body!