So I Can Preach

 

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK

SO I CAN PREACH

Mark 1:35-39

35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" 38 Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else — to the nearby villages — so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."  39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

NIV

It is interesting that we say that we want to follow Jesus, what does that mean? If we want to follow him so that we have eternal life, it seems sort of selfish, doesn’t it? But, if we follow Jesus as in doing that which Jesus did, then we are following in his footsteps and that would mean we are here to serve, for Jesus did not come to be served but to serve. Here we see that it was very early in the morning while it was still dark he arose and went to a solitary place, where he prayed. Interesting that is what we are doing right now as it is still dark and we are up in our solitary place, in prayer and writing as we are inspired. It is good to be alone with our Lord, we need that before the hectic pace of our day. Mark does not tell us what Jesus prayed, that is not as important as it is to know Jesus needed that alone time with His Father, just as we need that alone time with Him. There is something else here that we find to be of interest. Simon must have gotten up a little later and did not know where Jesus was, so he and the others set out to search for Jesus. That is what life should be all about, searching for Jesus. But it seems the opposite is true. Jesus sent the Spirit to find us and convict us of our sin and inform us that we need Jesus. God searches for us. Nevertheless, at this time they looked for Him and when they found him, they told him that everyone was looking for him. We are not told why everyone is looking for him, however, it most likely is because of his healing people and driving out demons. They want more of that. They want more of Jesus and his miracles. But Jesus told them that they should go on to other villages and do that which what he did here, to preach the good news about the kingdom of God. Surely Jesus did not preach about himself and maybe we should take a hint from that and maybe it would be best if we just talked to people about the kingdom of God, rather than telling them they need Jesus. Jesus told him that preaching was the reason that he came. We have thought the reason Jesus came was to be that perfect sacrifice for our sin, which he did unless he preached about the Kingdom of God, no one would understand why he had to die on the cross, no one would know that He is the Son of God. However, again, Jesus did not talk about himself, but about the kingdom of God, that people needed to know about this kingdom for they had gotten off track, and became distracted by religion, by trying to live by the law, by all the rules that had developed from the law. Jesus preached the grace of God, the good news that the kingdom of God is at hand. What a wonderful story we have to tell about the kingdom of God. Let us preach on! Let us tell people! The Kingdom of God is at hand. Let us be like Jesus, so we can preach.