By Robin Wiley
Scripture
Mark 1:35-39
Jesus Preaches in Galilee
35 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. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Jesus knew why he had come. He could have amassed a large following. He could have allowed the opportunity to grow in popularity to steer his decisions. He could have sought fame and glory for himself… but he didn’t.
If Jesus was living in the flesh in contemporary times, I think it’s safe to say he wouldn’t have spent much time worrying about how many social media followers he had. I doubt he would’ve spent much time taking the perfect selfie and finding just the right filter to use on Instagram. In fact, if we read the second half of the first chapter of Mark, we’ll find Jesus instructing those around him NOT to tell anyone about the miraculous things he was doing. Drawing attention to himself wasn’t the point. Introducing and advancing God’s kingdom was what motivated Jesus. I wonder how many of us would have the same attitude?
We know from Hebrews 4:15 that Jesus must have been tempted by fame. The thought of building an earthly kingdom surely crossed his mind, after all, he was half human. In fact, when Satan tempted Jesus in the dessert, Satan plants the very idea. (Father of lies!) When we find ourselves consumed with gaining status among others, whether through likes and followers on social media, or in terms of popularity in the hallways of our schools, or within the space of our offices (at home or at the workplace), we know that we are not alone in this struggle.
But how do we resist the temptation to build up ourselves? Mark 1:35 shows us a good place to start. Jesus was connected to his Father, our Heavenly Father, through prayer. It reminded him of why he had come and helped him focus on God’s mission.
Perhaps we all need to be reminded of how we can plug into God’s plans, rather than following our own agenda. Why not try starting each day with that kind of prayer?
Prayer:
Jesus, you knew exactly why you had come and you stuck to your Father’s mission. Thank you for never giving up us! May your example of going to God in prayer early in the morning lead us to do the same. Father God, help us to resist the temptation to build up our own kingdoms, but instead help us to seek your will so that we can play the role in your kingdom that you have designed. In the precious name of Jesus -- Amen.