Introduction
When people brought various kinds of sick people to Jesus at sunset on the Sabbath, Jesus laid his hands on each one and healed them all (v. 40). Perhaps Jesus' healing ministry ended late at night. Jesus must have exhausted a lot of his energy healing the sick. This is because power goes out from Jesus every time he heals the sick (Mark 5:30, Luke 8:46). And he must have been very tired because he had to carry the diseases of various kinds of sick people (Matthew 8:17). Because although Jesus is God, he has a body. So he had to walk from Jerusalem to Galilee, and when he was tired, he had to sit by a well to rest.
Jesus must have slept at Simon’s house that night.
I. Jesus opens the day with prayer (v. 42a)
At the day break Jesus left the house and went to a solitary place (v. 42a). Mark records the same thing, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35). Jesus began his day with prayer before dawn, before the sun even rose. The Lord's first schedule of the day was prayer. Jesus did not think that he could be spiritually refreshed through physical rest. Rather, Jesus received spiritual recharge by quietly meeting God the Father through prayer.
Because Jesus came in the form of a perfect man, he must have been physically and mentally tired at times. Whenever that happened, Jesus always went to God the Father and prayed. If we read the Gospel, we can see many scenes of Jesus praying continuously. Jesus prayed while being baptized. Even before he called the twelve disciples, Jesus first prayed. Even before Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he first prayed. Jesus also prayed on the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus prayed even before raising Lazarus. The day before Jesus carried his cross, he also prayed in Mark's upper room, and he continued to pray when he went to the Garden of Gethsemane. And Jesus prayed on the cross as well.
Why did Jesus always pray like this? Jesus is in very nature of God. Nevertheless, he made himself nothing and came to earth taking the very nature of a servant. Jesus came to this world as a sinless person, but his body has limitations. To overcome the limitations of the flesh and do work, he must be supplied with the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told his disciples in Acts 1:8 that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came on them. Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit by always praying as he said. Jesus drove out unclean spirits by the power of his Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28), and was able to bear the cross by the power of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 9:14). And Jesus was able to be resurrected through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 1:14).
It’s not just Jesus. In the Bible, many people prayed early in the morning. Psalm 57:7~8 says, “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast … I will awaken the dawn.” Psalm 119:147 says, “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.” Psalm 88:13 says, “But I cried to you for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.” Psalm 90:14 continues, “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” In Nehemiah 8:3, priest Ezra preached the law to the people from daybreak. Everyone, when did the walls of Jericho collapse? In Joshua chapter 6, they marched around the city at dawn, and on the seventh day, when they marched around the city seven times at daybreak and sounded the trumpet blast and shouted, the wall collapsed. The woman who witnessed the Lord's resurrection also woke up early in the morning and went to the tomb where the Lord was.
The quality of your and my day is determined by who we meet first when we start the day. Do you meet the Lord in the first hour of the day? Do you start your day by meeting and worshiping God? At that very moment, the Lord received new power from God. And he understood God's will. New wisdom comes from above. Please start your day early in the morning by meditating on the word of the Lord and praying. And just as Jesus always prayed to God the Father and did his work according to God's will with the power of the Holy Spirit, we too always pray to God, meditate on the word of the Lord, and walk with the Holy Spirit, so that each day is a blessed day and follows the Lord's will. It will be a day when the power of the Lord is revealed, influencing the people around you and changing the world.
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II. People's Wishes (v. 42b)
Simon Peter, Andrew, and the other disciples probably had no choice but to go to bed late last night. They might have wanted to sleep in late the next day. However, as the day dawned, they must have woken up from their sleep to the sound of rustling. When the sun rose, many people gathered in front of Simon Peter's house. Jesus had already healed all the sick until late at night, and had driven out all the unclean spirits from those who were possessed by demons. So why are people flocking there again?
People knew that Jesus had no disease that could not be cured. So people probably hoped that Jesus would heal even their minor illnesses. And all the people who couldn't come last night would have come that morning. People did not come to Jesus to repent of their sins and receive salvation. All they wanted was for Jesus to heal their illnesses and drive out demons from them.
They kept making noise and waiting for Jesus to come to them. At that sound, Simon and the disciples woke up and looked for Jesus, but Jesus was not in the house. So they went out of the house and went looking for Jesus (v. 42b). Mark 1:36 says, “Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him.” The meaning of the Greek original meaning of ‘went to look for’ is ‘to pursue, to capture.’ It clearly shows how impatient and pitiful the group was feeling.
As the crowd searched, they found Jesus praying alone in a solitary place and tried to keep him from leaving them (v. 42c). Mark 1:37 says, “They exclaimed: 'Everyone is looking for you.'” Perhaps Peter, who was impatient, tracked down Jesus and met him, arguing with him. "Lord, everyone is waiting to meet you right outside the door of the house, but are you praying here in a solitary place that is hard to find? Do you know how long we have been looking for you?”
Why did Peter say this to the Lord just now? In the hearts of the disciples they might have thought: ‘Lord, here is a chance to show a lesson. Please show the authority and power that you have, Lord, to show the people of Nazareth, who rejected the Lord, that you are the Messiah.’ In fact, was it only the Lord's disciples who did this? All of these motivations are in the hearts of many people who come to church nowadays: “They say I will be blessed if I believe in Jesus… Then I will be able to show it off to others with confidence...” I also had this thought. “Lord, if you give me the gift of divine healing, I can heal the sick with your power, and then word will spread and the church will be revived and it will be good... ”
It would be a lie to say that I have forgotten the purpose of first believing in the Lord and my first love, and that I have no desire to show off to others like the Lord's disciples. The disciples had misunderstandings about the Lord's kingdom, the reason for the Lord's miracles, and the reason for the Lord's coming. The reason Jesus performed miracles was to prove that he was the Messiah promised by God through the prophets. The Lord came to this world not to show off to the Jewish religious leaders, but as a suffering servant to serve others and save sinners.
III. The Lord’s Answer (vv. 43-44)
Look at verse 43. “But he said, 'I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.'” What does it mean? "Done. I have already shown them enough of who I am. So now let’s go to the other towns. Then will the people there also hear the gospel of the kingdom of God, know who I am, believe in me, and be saved?” Jesus meant the same thing. Jesus has now clearly taught his disciples what the purpose of his coming to this world is and what the ultimate purpose of all the work Jesus does is. What did Jesus come to this world for? He came to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God. He was sent to preach.
What is the purpose of Jesus coming to this world? It wast not to heal people's illnesses or drive out demons from them. It was to preach. Jesus said that he was sent to preach the good news of the kingdom of God. Jesus came to save people's souls. Jesus did not want to show off his authority or power. Jesus came to this world solely to fulfill God's will, and he told this to his disciples whenever he had the opportunity. “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:38-40).
That's right. Jesus did not come to this world just to heal people's illnesses or drive out demons. Jesus came to this world to preach the good news of the kingdom of God and save the souls given to Jesus who were chosen before the creation of the world. Jesus clearly answered the crowd who were looking for him and trying to stop him from leaving, saying, “I was sent to preach the good news of the kingdom of God.” The Lord's first job was to testify the good news of God, the good news of salvation. It was to obey the will of God the Father so that sinners could believe in Jesus Christ and gain eternal life.
Jesus rejected the demands of the crowd trying to stop him from leaving Capernaum and did not return to Capernaum. Jesus confirmed God's will through his prayer. And Jesus went to various synagogues in Judea and preached (v. 44). Meanwhile, Jesus continued to heal people's illnesses and cast out unclean spirits to clearly show that he was the Christ, the Son of God.
Prayer is not something we do to achieve our own will. Prayer makes us obey God's will, not man's will. God's will was to spread the good news of the kingdom of God. So Jesus said, “That is why I was sent,” and he personally traveled not only in Galilee but also in many other regions, preaching. That is why Jesus was able to say to his disciples, “Be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Conclusion
Among the most urgent needs of man, eating and treating illness are important. But Jesus came to this earth for a more urgent need. It is when people hear the good news of the kingdom of God and their souls are reborn. For this purpose, Jesus, who is God, came to this world in the flesh and personally traveled to various regions to preach the good news of the kingdom of God.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, will be saved. That person lives eternally in the kingdom of God, heaven. However, if anyone does not believe in Jesus, he or she will perish. That person must suffer forever in hell. Jesus knew very well the terrible pain that those who fall into hell must suffer for eternity, so he preached without ceasing in order to save even one more life.
Have you believed in Jesus Christ and received eternal life? Is there any evidence of eternal life? Those who believe in Jesus Christ and receive eternal life are bound to imitate Jesus Christ. Of course, we cannot perform miracles like Jesus. However, we can pray hard like Jesus, and we can preach the good news hard like Jesus. Let us all discern God's will by always praying, work hard to preach the good news with the help of the Holy Spirit, and do our best to save souls. I pray and bless that you will receive praise and rewards from the Lord.
