35 Early in the morning, well before sunrise, Jesus rose and went to a deserted place where he could be alone in prayer. 36 Simon and those with him tracked him down. 37 When they found him, they told him, “Everyone’s looking for you!”
38 He replied, “Let’s head in the other direction, to the nearby villages, so that I can preach there too. That’s why I’ve come.”
Reflection
Let us set the stage for today’s scripture reading: Mark 1 verse 1 begins with the words “The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, God’s Son, happened just as it was written about in the prophecy of Isaiah….” These words were eventually written and read, and through the months and years the story of Jesus was shared from friend to friend, neighbor to
neighbor, among those who are familiar with the prophecy of their faith tradition. The amazing tale told of a person named Jesus who came from a place called Nazareth of Galilee. Everywhere Jesus and his followers traveled Jesus the rabbi taught and healed, and his reputation grew throughout the area. (Mark 1:21-28) Jesus must have been a VERY busy
person in those first days, weeks, and months as the word spread. We know from this first chapter of Mark that the ministry of Jesus grew rapidly. He originally became known around the local area of Capernaum (Mark 1:21) and other small villages, his home turf.
One morning after a much-needed night of rest and renewal, and an early morning time of prayer and meditation at the home of two of his followers, Jesus had a much clearer understanding of why he was alive, as we heard in today’s passage. (Mark 1:35-38) This passage has him tell his followers that he realized he must take the road less traveled, that he must go to other villages where he was yet known.
This past Sunday, Pastor Joe started a new 3-week series about saying NO. As I explored today’s reading, I realized that Jesus must have really surprised his followers by telling them “No! Forget about the way we’ve been doing things. Yes, I know we’ve been successful with small towns and villages, but I have heard a voice telling me to head in the other direction.
We need to teach and heal in places that don’t know me yet.”
Personally, I LOVE planning, and I really dislike changing plans at the last minute. However, there have been many times in my life as a parent or grandparent, as a clergy person, and, yes, even as a retiree, that I have had to adjust my planned course of action. And, you know what? Very often the alternate course has reaped unexpected, wonderful results! Look how things changed for Jesus when he took an alternate route.
by Kathleen Stolz
For Pondering and Prayer
Our 50th anniversary trip was supposed to be a trip to Italy. Unfortunately, a health issue suddenly appeared, and my husband’s doctor strongly advised we cancel our dream vacation. A trip to the Jersey shore was our back-up plan. Wouldn’t you know that a hurricane threatened to ruin that vacation. Unbeknownst to me, my husband made a reservation for a Biplane flight down the Jersey shoreline to celebrate in a most unexpected way. I was so
surprised that I was speechless. My dad had learned to fly in the same model during WWII and this was a HUGE surprise. With tears in my eyes all I could say before, during and after was WOW! No, it wasn’t life- changing for billions of people, but it remains a truly amazing memory of my husband’s love for 50+ years.
I had a recent reminder of this experience when BBC News shared the following recently: “The expression ‘futtitinni’ runs deep in the Sicilian culture. It’s a mantra for not getting bogged down by the small stuff and instead focusing on what truly matters.”
Another similar saying is “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.”
As you reflect on your life, when have you received a “No” and things
turned out beautifully, or you just said “futtitinni?”
Prayer: Eternal Lover, thank you for guiding my heart, my head, and my feet as I walk through life. With the hills and valleys I experience, remind me to celebrate the positive results rather than dwelling on the negative. You are with me in the midst of it all and I am grateful for your presence, always. Amen.
