02-13-21

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
February 13, 2021
Scripture: Matthew 14:22-23
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone…

Thought for the Day: The Greek word we translate as ‘alone’ is the word: Monos. Alone is a good translation, but in other contexts it can mean forsaken or even abandoned. I think a lot of it has to do with whether we had a say in our experience of monos or whether it was forced upon us. At this point in the life of Jesus, I believe it was 100% his choice. Jesus had done a number of teachings, then John the Baptist (a relative of Jesus) was beheaded and then Jesus fed a multitude. I think we can all agree that he’s put in more than a full day of work (it was probably more than one day). Though notice, Jesus has to do a few things to get to that alone-ness that he is seeking. He puts his disciples on a boat and then sends the crowd home. It’s one thing to notice a need for some ‘me’ time or maybe a little quiet time with God. It is something very different to actually make it happen. Too often we don’t do enough upfront work to make our alone time valuable. Our minds are more focused on what we must do upon our return. Recognize the hard work required for some good rest.

Prayer: O God, give me some extra energy to do the hard work necessary for some good rest. Amen.

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