March 22, 2010 - Mark 1:35,36 "He prayed"

"In the morning, while it was still dark, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him."

Sigh...is there no rest? Since Jesus walked out of His mother's door, He's been busy. He's turned water into wine at a wedding, healed innumerable people, raised people from the dead, preached and taught and walked and blessed and preached and taught and blessed and walked some more. He had to have been tired.

I've noticed that Jesus prays a lot. In my early days as a Christian, I questioned that. If Jesus was God, why would He need to pray to Himself? It made no sense. But in His earthly visit to this world, Jesus was just as fully man as He was God. It's the explanation, but I confess it's still hard to wrap my head around. The whole concept of the Trinity is one I find more than difficult to explain to people.

But I surely do understand His need for rest. So much to do, and so little time to do it. But it does make we wonder about myself. I often feel overwhelmed with all the things I need to do, just to keep my head above water. I get tired and cranky, and resting seems like something other people might have time for, but I surely don't. And yet, and yet... if even Jesus made time for rest; if even Jesus made time to pray, with all that was on HIS plate, surely I can do the same.

Writing this blog, for me, is prayer. It gives me the opportunity to look into the Bible, think about things, let God speak to me. Sometimes...often times!...there is a lot I don't understand, but the very act of reading God's word is restful. There is something intensely calming about God's word, even when the word is violent, as it often is. In one respect though, Jesus had it easier than I. His culture, His religion as an observant Jew, required Him to take a day of rest. For Him it wasn't like He could pick and choose. A day of rest is just what you did every Sabbath, and that is one thing that seems to have dropped by the wayside. And yet, if Jesus could do that...if He could take one day out of seven to rest, why can't I?