Pastor’s Column 3/9/2025

PASTOR’S COLUMN

35 “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, NIV                                                                 

First Sunday in Lent - “Renewal!”

The compelling and most urgent need of the soul will lead us to a place of refuge and rejuvenation. This could not be clearer when we patiently follow the footstepsof Jesus along His journey. Too often we perceive Jesus in His divine aura, which is understandable. But Jesus must be seen and appreciated as One who lived in the flesh as do we. Yes, like we fellow humans, Jesus  became weary and exhausted - the result of life’s inevitable pressures. He had His disciples pluck ears of corn from a stranger’s corn field, because He and they were hungry. Jesus cried as He pondered the future destruction of the Holy City, Jerusalem, some 37 years after His ascension to heaven.  John describes Jesus “weeping in sorrow” upon the death of His friend Lazarus. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus  perspiredprofusely and agonized over His imminent apprehension by Roman soldiers and death. This is the Jesus who we also must identify with. Seeing Jesus in His humanness is instructive. Being human in no way canceled His divinity! The writer of Hebrews, speaking of Jesus, said, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testing we do, yet He did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15, NLT). This penitential time of Lent, some six weeks before the celebration of Resurrection  Sunday is a period when many Christians pursue a “space for grace,” where we reflect on Jesus. It is a time of inner release of the habits and hazards that, if not given attention, could compromise our fellowship with Christ our Lord. These should be intentional days of persistent prayer; consistent-focused reading of the Scriptures; and some aspect of fasting. If we give these spiritual disciples serious attention, we will be renewed and be better prepared for the journey ahead. Jesus left a house and found a “solitary” place where He prayed. Jesus left that special place and period much revived!