“Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you! ”Jesus replied,“ Let us go somewhere else — to the nearby villages — so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” Mark 1:36-38
When Jesus healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, the word spread quickly. All evening and into the night people crammed the entryway with their sick relatives. Jesus healed many of them, but not all.
Then, Mark tells us Jesus went off by himself to pray in the wee hours before sunrise. Later that morning, when more people banged on the door and demanded Jesus’ healing, the disciples went looking for him. I think Jesus’ answer might have shocked them a bit.
God called his Son to give eternal life, yet the people could only see the need for healing the shell in which they lived there and then. They missed the point. They couldn’t see that Jesus came to offer them so much more. If he had returned to that town, he may have been mobbed by those still seeking healing. None of them realized the deeper healing he offered through his teaching and eventually through his sacrifice on the cross.
So, after praying about it, Jesus obeyed his Father and moved on…. The truth of the gospel is this: there is more to life than what we are facing, suffering or rejoicing in right now. Sure, we can pray for Jesus to heal us, relieve us, or help us through whatever we face today. However, Jesus calls us to experience something beyond our daily needs. If you feel overwhelmed in your life right now, pray about it. Refocus on the gospel and its message — Jesus came to give us so much more than what worries us at the moment.
Father God, help us to realize your great plan for all who call Jesus their Savior. Let us not be so concerned about the here and now that we miss your blessings and promises for the hereafter. Amen.
Seek to focus on your eternal destiny, thanking and praising God for all that you have received and will receive in Christ.
By Julie Cosgrove
Used by Permission
Further Reading
•Immeasurably More – by Phil Ware
• More than a Helper – by Rich Vega
• When Silence is More Than Being Quiet – by Kyle Norman