Epiphany 5B (Mark 1:29-39)

The enlarged verses (Mark 1:35 and 1:38) of today’s gospel lesson in the printed program are not a mistake. While the gospel story is filled with Jesus’ curing and healing ministry, this mischievous way of emphasizing two verses may help us focus on 1) what would be his daily spiritual practice and remind us of 2) what he is called to do. 

1) "In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed." 

To me, this verse is a hidden treasure that shows a glimpse of Jesus’ spiritual practice. We can easily imagine that this is not just one occasion that Jesus gets up early in the morning to pray in solitude and quietude. Suppose you’re trying to get up at 5 am without setting an alarm. It would be quite difficult to be up around 5 am unless you’re constantly waking yourself up to check the time. Just as it would be hard for us to do, it would be for Jesus unless it becomes a daily habit. Of course, this comes out of my personal experience which I presume you can resonate with. I can get up at 6 am without my phone next to me. In my case, I can do it because I need to go to work. But on Saturdays, I am not always up at 6 am because there’s no work. 

This verse's value isn't solely about early rising—it symbolizes how Jesus draws strength, wisdom, and courage to fulfill his calling. Through solitude and prayer, he transitions ordinary time (kronos) into divine moments (kairos), transforming a deserted place into holy ground, akin to Moses encountering the burning bush (Ref. Exodus 3:5, "Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.").

We have no information what kind of prayers Jesus would say but we do know his breath is with him just as no living person stops breathing. My assumption is that he attends and attunes to his breath to focus on God’s presence. This may require him to be in a quiet place and time. The kingdom of God is experienced in deep quietude and concentration. 

 2) "I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do."

Jesus doesn’t seem to forget his initial mission given to him. That is to share the good news of God’s kingdom or presence (as you are aware, both kingdom and presence are theologically interchangeable) dwelling in one’s heart. Recall the comments of those who hear his teaching from last Sunday’s gospel lesson: “They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mark 1:22) Jesus’ authority comes from his presence that transmits God’s presence. There’s no better way to convey the good news of God’s presence than to embody it in order to evoke that very presence and existence of God in those who hear him. 

Jesus brings what he experiences in the early morning time at a deserted place to everyone he encounters. This would be his method of preaching and proclaiming the kingdom of God. No talk can convince minds. Even a salesperson or an advertisement shows the benefits of what they sell. Jesus reveals the presence of God in his own presence. Stories of Jesus’ healing miracles then hint at us what God’s presence can do to people, that is, how God’s presence transforms their lives. Jesus’ role is to bridge people and God by awakening them that God is already within their hearts. He points them inwardly to look deep in their hearts. This contemplative penetration is downwardly vertical that it cuts through the depth of our being. In this vertically downward direction of our concentration in stilling prayer, heaven is no longer found above but resides within our earthly bodies, making “Thy kingdom come and thy will be done on earth as in heaven” a reality. 

As we ponder on those two verses, we are then left with two questions that can help us examine ourselves. One is “Where is my time and place for solitude and quietude to be restored and rejuvenated in God’s presence?” The other is “How skillfully can I embody God’s presence in my daily interaction with people?”