Busy. Busy. Busy. Most of us are caught up in a frenzy of activity that leaves us exhausted and edgy. But in spite of the crush of human need, Jesus never appeared to be in a hurry. Why not? An incident from early in his ministry is revealing.
Jesus had spent the day teaching and healing in Capernaum. (Mark 1) But the day didn’t end until well after sunset because the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed--it appeared that the whole town had gathered at the home of Peter’s mother-in-law. Very early the next morning, Jesus retreated to a solitary place to pray. When the miffed disciples finally found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” What an opportunity—doors flung wide open for ministry. Why not rent a public building and have nightly meetings for the next 30 days? Imagine what Jesus could do in a month—there wouldn’t be a broken bone or a broken marriage in the entire city.
But astoundingly (to the Twelve) Jesus declined the invitation: “Let us go somewhere else so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” Jesus knew his purpose. He knew what God had called him to do. That made it possible to decline such a tempting offer.
Mark Buchanan in Your God Is Too Safe, has observed that “at the heart of Jesus’ ministry was a holy must. He must go through Samaria. He must go to Jerusalem. He must suffer. Everything he did or refused to do centered around that.” This must brought “wonderful clarity” to Jesus’ choices.
Many of us have no God-inflamed purpose which drives and directs our choices: “There is activity. There is opinion. There is busyness. But there is nothing ... to convert selfish ambition into holy purpose.” We are like Jerry Sittser who lamented his inability to say “no”: “I am like a man on a mission to everywhere.”
Jesus didn’t heal every sick person or preach in every synagogue or accept every invitation. But he did accomplish every task the Father assigned to him. Many of us let friends or relatives or pastors, rather than God, fix our agendas. We need to respond to significant requests of our time by praying: "Lord, is this how you want me to use my time and gifts?"
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