A Time to Preach

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. ³⁶ Simon and his companions went to look for him, ³⁷ and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
³⁸ Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” ³⁹ So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons (Mark 1:36-39).

What may we learn from Jesus?

1. Turn to God in prayer when momentous decisions before us. Jesus was resolute because of the time he spent in prayer discerning the will of God. If we follow his example of making the time for serious prayer, we will be able to make the difficult decisions and to act with confidence and in peace.

2. The gospel is what matters. Don’t forget this. The gospel – not being well, not having smooth family relations, not being married or being freed from a bad marriage, not having a job or a good job – is what matters. However important those other things may be, what matters is hearing, understanding, and believing the good news of Jesus Christ.

3. Proclaiming the gospel is the mission of the church. It is not changing political policy. It is not building our little religious empire. It is not entertaining the masses. It is bringing the hope of the gospel to people who are lost.

That is why Jesus has come and why we must go forth.