Pulpit Reflections

Isaiah 40:31, Mark 1:29-39

One of the Bible verses that gets selected a lot when it comes to the whole world of competitive sports and football, is Isaiah 40:31. Several years ago, I found out that Tim Tebow, do you remember him, Tim Tebow, somewhere along his career, he had written out this verse, tiny white letters on those black spots that get painted under the eyes, Isaiah 40:31, which is “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not be faint.” Beautiful verse indeed.

It is well and good to pray for those things that deep down in our hearts we know that we need. Jesus tells us to do this very thing. For football players it has to be strength and endurance, to not be hurt or injured. To play the game at the very highest level in which it can be played. This is a verse that does fit pretty well with football. Waiting on the Lord, to have one’s strength renewed.

However, from our Gospel, from Jesus and his teaching on prayer, we also know that prayer isn’t just asking to get things from God, prayer is also, maybe even foremost, about receiving God. Waiting upon the Lord, and having our strength renewed, through him.

One of the things that our lesson brings up, is how incredibly busy Jesus was during this particular time period. People were coming from all over the place, wanting to see him, wanting to hear what he had to say, wanting to be healed by Jesus. The whole city was gathered around his door, these are the very words from our lesson. In the midst of living out his calling as Savior of the world, a time when Jesus was so very busy, Jesus still took time out to pray. If Jesus, the very son of God, if Jesus needed to take time out to pray, what about us? When I get very busy, I am afraid, my prayer life seems to go by the wayside. Jesus out there, early, early in the morning, this tells us prayer never should be pushed to the wayside.

When Simon and the disciples had had finally found Jesus, they told him, everyone is searching for you. Now isn’t that a snapshot of our present-day reality? At one moment, there is this quiet time in communication with God the Father, the next moment, the message that everyone is looking for you, get a move on. You have work to do.

Here we can relate. How often does it seem, as soon as we find ourselves in a place where we really enjoy being, something else comes at us that is urgently demanding our attention. Jesus, however, doesn’t follow the urgent pleadings of the crowds to stay with them, instead Jesus says, there are neighboring towns that need to be visited, so that I may proclaim the message there also. It seems like his time in prayer, this has given Jesus a deeper perspective, that doesn’t fall in line with the immediate clamoring and the urgings of the crowds.

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Pulpit Reflections | The Nemaha County Herald

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