Right out of the gate, Jesus, in the first chapter of Mark demonstrates His supernatural power and divinity. When He’s baptized the “heavens tear open” (1:10), a booming voice from the sky proclaims His arrival (1:11), He rebukes and casts out demons (1:25), and He heals almost an entire town of its diseases (1:34).
I love the first impression the author Mark gives His audience. Authority. Power. Courage. Divinity. But there’s another side of Jesus we see here in what directly follows this string of events.
“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.” (1:35). Here we see the humanity of Jesus and how we can relate to HIm. Let’s seriously consider how exhausting this all must have been! Perhaps Jesus was beginning to sense the beginning of an overwhelmed heart and mind, and before He could do any more work He had to press the pause button. Sometimes we forget that Jesus wasn’t a divine robot that didn’t feel physical or emotional fatigue, just going about His three years of ministry in constant 5th gear, all without the need for coffee. Rather than continuing to do life at that speed, He had the wisdom to intentionally find the space to go be in deep communion with His Father. Amidst the busyness and chaos He could draw upon the peace and strength of The Lord.
Right now I turn around in my desk chair and stare at a whiteboard on the wall completely full of ideas, tasks, plans, and needs. My desk is scattered with Post-it notes and my phone keeps buzzing. I can’t imagine the size that Jesus’s whiteboard would have been back then. I’m so amazed by how much our Lord was able to accomplish, but I know it was only possible because of how He placed communion with God as top priority. This morning’s time in the Word was gentle conviction from the Holy Spirit. Before I think the remedy for more productivity is better systems and processes, it’s first and foremost a consistent reliance on the Father. It’s pressing “pause” and the right time in order to recalibrate my mind.
So what is on your plate right now? What’s on your “whiteboard” at your job or in your home? I encourage you to spend time in Mark 1 and look to Christ as our example. Try to find a time and space that is free of distractions and present your life before Him. Ask for wisdom, ask for strength, ask for a calm spirit, and “cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you!” (1 Peter 5:7) Love you Illuminate family.
Jonny Lutz
