Come To A Lonely Place

Saturday of the Fourth Week in Course 2024

Today St. Mark’s Gospel interjects a short story about Jesus counseling His disciples how to be effective missionaries. ‘And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while."’ The great saints advise similar rest periods to those who want to learn the secret of their effectiveness in promoting the Gospel. “Activism” is the great temptation to those who know they are called to proclaim the love and joy of Christ to the world. It’s an adjunct of the capital sin of pride. We tend in our enthusiasm to forget that WE are not the saviors of the world. The world already has one of those, and He is unmatchable. We can imitate Jesus but we will never take His place.

So they get in Peter’s fishing craft and take off across Lake Tiberias to find a deserted spot for the respite. And when they arrive, they discover that the crowds, starving for the word of God and His healing, have gotten there before them. Note the response. Jesus Himself teaches them many things. It appears that He let the seventy-two missionaries rest and recuperate, while He took care of the multitude.

How can a young man keep his way pure, asks the psalmist today. The answer is given–focus. Focus your decision-making faculties on following the Lord and His law of love. Lay up His word in your heart, and avoiding sin will be easier. Now I’ve worked with young people all during my career and ministry, and I can testify that they all want to do good and avoid evil, but they are very easily tempted. Sexually, sure, but also by the desire to be the boss and the desire for money, which can buy influence with their friends. It’s those passions that get in the way of the following of Christ.

The young king Solomon was like that. He had a father with an intense love of the Lord, albeit one who was misled by passion and paid a stiff price. As king, though, Solomon responded to the Lord’s query on what he really wanted with the best answer: “Give thy servant therefore an understanding mind to govern thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to govern this thy great people?” And early on Solomon did show an understanding mind, but he succumbed to activism. He made too many alliances with foreign rulers, cemented by him taking on multiple wives from those rulers’ families. And they brought their national “gods” with them, and expected the king to worship them as well as the True God. Moreover, Solomon thought to maybe buy is way back into God’s favor by building God a house, despite the fact that God had told David that He didn’t need a big, fancy Temple. After all, His presence was always in the Holy Place, even when it was nothing more than a fancy tent.

So let’s take a lesson here. Every day, take time for rest and time for prayer. Even make a special place in your home or back yard for a shrine of some kind where it’s silent and available for prayer. Let God’s grace sharpen your mind and heart and keep you focused on His will, and you will be more effective with family and ministry.