“His secret? Delegation”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Monday, February 26, 2024 Mark 3:7-19a (Forward, p. 28) CEV p. 1029

I don’t think that it is merely a coincidence, not at all. What I am referring to is the fact that Jesus, immediately after a prolonged and frenzied time of healing and exorcism, decided to choose twelve of His disciples to ‘be with him’, and to preach and expel demons. It is a good example of divine delegation. Indeed, isn’t that exactly what God has chosen to do all along. He could not be in several places at once, or He could not ‘touch’ people quite the way that a friend or neighbour could, so He choose people to be His co-workers, ‘His partners in crime’ as it were. Biblical history is littered with such people, Abraham & Sarah, Moses & Aaron, Joshua, Ruth, Esther, the prophets, John the Baptist, the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, the apostle Paul, and, of course, Jesus. There is nothing quite like having a ‘man on the spot’, a person there in the situation, to produce results, to have an impact.

And so it is, too, with us. We, you and I, are God’s people ‘on the spot’, His chosen representatives and co-workers. We can have an impact that God simply cannot have, simply because we are there, and because we are ‘fellow humans’ with those we are in contact with. How often, however, we forget this. Here we need the conviction that the Roman Catholic theologian Gregory Baum once uttered, “We need the conviction that God counts on men’ (read that as ‘men and women’). God counts on us, and needs us, to do His work and extend His kingdom here on earth. That is how God got things done in the past, and it is the same today, as well.

Forward notes: “He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him” (verse 9).

“This passage reminds me of the importance of both community and solitude in our spiritual journeys. On the one hand, we are called to be part of a Christian community, to share in fellowship, worship, and service with others. The crowds that followed Jesus sought connections with him and one another, and they found healing and hope in that communal experience.

“On the other hand, we also need solitude and retreat to deepen our relationship with God. Jesus withdrew from the crowds to spend time in prayer and to select his disciples. Likewise, we need to carve out intentional times of stillness and silence, listen for God’s voice, and discern God’s will for our lives.

“We are reminded of the importance of community, relationships, solitude, and surrender in our spiritual lives. May we seek to follow Jesus, both amid the crowds and in the quiet moments of our lives, trusting in God’s grace and guidance at each step.”

Moving Forward: “How can you better balance community and solitude in your spiritual life?”