“Pacing Himself”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation– Saturday, September 24, 2022
Luke 4:38-44 (Forward, p 57) CEV p. 1061
One of the most difficult things to say for us humans, especially for pastors, is the word, ‘no.’ We sort of feel under obligation, under a requirement that we be there for everyone, and be a servant for and to everyone. We clergy can often have a real problem with boundaries, and for any clergy with spouses and families this can emerge as a rather thorny issue. But even for clergy without these attachments it can be less than ideal and can in fact, it be quite destructive and lead to burnout. But it is not just pastors that are afflicted with this temptation. Others of us also can also have an issue with saying ‘yes’ too easily and quickly and feeling guilty when we say ‘no.’ We can all have a problem with knowing how to pace ourselves.
It is of profound interest, and help, to see how Jesus handled this. After all, He Himself had stated that He had come not to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28) and had commanded His disciples to be ‘the servant of all’ (Mark 9:35).
Today’s passage gives us just a snippet, just one day’s worth of Jesus’ busy life. But what, then, do we find here? First off, just after attending the Sabbath service in the synagogue, He returns to the home of Peter (and presumably Andrew) and finds that Peter’s mother-in-law is sick with a fever. Immediately, we hear of Jesus healing her, but then nothing more is said of His activities until evening, until the sun had set. Presumably, He was able to relax a bit, you know, take it easy.
But then, with sunset, ‘all hell broke loose’ as it were. People immediately poured out onto the streets and deluged the house where Jesus was staying. It was a great ‘herd’ of people, with all sorts of ailments, that Jesus ministered to that night, and presumably, it would have taken some time.
So, He went back ‘home’ to get some shuteye, some much needed rest, right? Well, not quite. Mark tells us that very early the next morning, Jesus got up and to a place, presumably a lonely and secluded place, where He could be alone and pray (Mark 1:35). Seemingly, it was something quite unexpected and the place relatively unknown, as people were forced to go out to look for Him. And apparently, this took ‘some’ time. And, as might well be expected, they wanted Him to continue His work of healing. But Jesus told them that there were still other towns that needed to hear Him preach and so He said ‘no’ to their pleas, and ‘no’ to their yet unmet needs. Jesus knew how to pace Himself and when to say ‘yes’ and when to say ‘no’. I imagine that the time He spent with His Father in prayer had a big part in knowing this, knowing how to pace Himself and set proper boundaries. Maybe this should occupy our times of prayer as well. Amen.
Forward notes: “But he said to them, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose’” (verse 43)
“In this passage, Jesus has withdrawn to a deserted place, and yet crowds of people from Capernaum seek him out and find him there. They plead with him to stay. In fact, they want to prevent him from leaving them. But he tells them he must continue in his purpose.
“I have recently seen different references to the ‘purpose of life.’ Jesus knew his purpose in this world. He was completely transparent about it. Many people we meet are searching for their purpose, and some are resisting what they know to be their purpose in life. Some among us are seeking security. Some are seeking power to shape the world to their vision. Some are seeking money.
“What do you define as the purpose of life? Jesus is very clear about what we are called to do and what our purpose is: ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ Our purpose is to love this broken world and to share that love in ways big and small for the rest of our lives here on Earth.”
MOVING FORWARD: “What is your purpose of life? How do you carry it out?”