and again a crowd gathered,
so that he and his disciples
were not even able to eat.
Mark 3:20
while it was still dark,
Jesus got up,
left the house and went off to a solitary place,
where he prayed.
Mark 1:35
On the other hand, a scene of intimate communion with the Father: time alone, prayer, solitude, calm, clarity - so much clarity, in fact, that when Jesus is reminded of all the demands, he confidently (and without any guilt at all) says, "I have something else that needs to be done. Let's go somewhere else" (1:36-38).
One of the great challenges that Jesus faced in his ministry was deciding exactly who he would answer to. Whose expectations would he fulfill? Whose demands would get his attention? Which audience would he play to? Jesus was attentive to the needs around him - he did care - he gave himself fully to ministry. Even so, he decided time and time again that his highest priority was his relationship with his Father. The Father's expectations were the ones that mattered. Those were the demands that required his attention. The Father was his only audience.
Repeatedly, we see Jesus stepping aside, taking time, praying, watching, breathing, stopping - stopping long enough to notice things that probably weren't visible to the busy people who were running from place to place.
This is one of my struggles. There is so much to do. There is so much that is important. There is so much that matters. But if I'm not careful, I end up making Mark 3:20 my life verse (and even being proud of it): "I'm so busy that I don't even have time to eat!"
And Jesus, I think, would remind us that that's nothing to brag about . . .
So let's tell the truth today. It's great to be productive. It's great to give our lives to causes that matter. It's great to work hard. All the same, it's better to have clarity in life. It's better to understand what matters most. It's better to remember whose we are. If we pay attention, we'll see that our relationship with God matters supremely. We'll see that people matter. We'll see that there are better ways to use the time that has been placed in our hands.
Nobody accomplished more than Jesus. Still, he had this amazing sense of clarity. When there was much to do, he would pray. When there were many demands, he would go to a different place.
I normally live somewhere between Mark 3:20 and Mark 1:35. And I'm hoping that one day I'll make the right choice . . .