Pull Out to Get On Pace

Oh, The Places!

There is a lot to look at when analyzing text. Particularly sacred scriptures. There's doctrine, lessons, cross-references, actions... the list goes on and on. Different passages of scripture lend themselves to various kinds of analysis. Luke 4 is particularly kind to setting—where is Jesus? It is very interesting to see how Jesus conducts himself in various settings and what that can teach us about our own reactions when we find ourselves in these same places.

The Private Place

Finally, we see Jesus withdrew to a place by himself. All alone. With no one around. He just stepped on a major platform in the Pious Place and saw his fame explode. He demonstrated his emphasis on relationships in a very Personal Place. And now, he seems to regress by going to a place where he can have no direct influence on any individual.

When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them.

—Luke 4:42 NASB 

After all that Jesus went through to build up his ministry, Jesus takes a time-out to be alone. It seems counter-intuitive. When one's work begins, it is typically recommended that they continue. Write consistent blog posts. Record consistent podcasts. Get on the radio at the same time each week. Keep preaching. Keep visiting. Keep your name on the headlines so they don't forget you.

Clearly, this is not Jesus' M.O.

A Potent Pause

We should not be surprised in the least to see Jesus take out time to be by himself. He did this many times during his time on earth. He did it earlier in Luke 4 while tempted in the wilderness. He does it on the Mount of Transfiguration (with a select few disciples). He goes by himself o pray and sends his disciples across the sea (then joins them by walking on water). He even goes off by himself in the garden of Gethsemane. The scriptures clearly indicate that this is not a one-off event, but a life habit which Jesus carefully cultivated.

What does Jesus do when he is by himself? He does many things. As I just mentioned, he goes by himself to face temptation, to pray, to reinforce his purpose and to pour out his soul. It is a time of renewal and cleansing. The intimacy of these episodes are palpable. And we know that Jesus would never miss an opportunity to go to the private place.

If the Personal Place deals with those people we know best on this earth, the Private Place deals with a one-to-one relationship with the God who knows us best. In the Personal Place, our relationships with family and friends are intimate and a priority. In the Private Place, we are completely naked before our God, and those things we can manage to keep secret from our closest earthly relationships will certainly be unveiled.

It is an unnerving thought, to say the least. But it is a critical practice for anyone who fancies himself a follower of Christ.

While the Private Place is the last place mentioned in the chapter, we can see that everything emanates from here:

• Our Private Relationship with God places us in the right frame of mind with a clean conscience.
• Since we are in the right frame of mind with a clean conscience, we are open and honest with our Private Relationships.
• Our openness and honesty in our personal relationships gives us credibility as a witness in the Public Place, which includes ministry in the Pious Place.
• Though I have not written a post on Jesus' Wilderness Experience, we can easily see how a strong foundation will help us when we enter the Perilous Place of temptation and persecution.

May we be like Christ and deliberately enter the Private Place with the intent to strengthen our relationship with God. This will have a positive effect on the rest of our life.

Ritual and Law

When we see ritual and law in scripture,

we also see a picture of something greater that God is painting.

The Pertinence of Partnerships

Oh, The Places!

There is a lot to look at when analyzing text. Particularly sacred scriptures. There's doctrine, lessons, cross-references, actions... the list goes on and on. Different passages of scripture lend themselves to different kinds of analysis. Luke 4 is particularly kind to setting—where is Jesus? It is very interesting to see how Jesus conducts himself in various different settings and what that can teach us about our own reactions when we find ourselves in these same places.

The Personal Place

The second place we see Jesus is at Simon's home in Luke 4:38. This intimately personal setting is juxtaposed against Jesus' very public ministry which includes the statement in verse 37 about Jesus' fame which echoes far beyond his physical presence. Not only have people heard of Jesus, but the things they have heard are amazing. In verse 36, the people are astonished at the power behind his teaching. They recognized something special in Jesus. As a result, his fame exploded.

So what does Jesus do? He goes into a home to take personal care of a disciple's intimate need; Simon's need to care for his mother-in-law. Jesus does not start a global tour, he comes home instead. Jesus does not sell out arenas for hour-long preaching sessions, he holds a bedside service instead. Jesus does not headline a week-long conference, he heads over to an individual with a specific need instead.

** Queue big movie theater voice ** This time it's personal.

That's not to say that any of those things (global tours, selling out arenas, week-long conferences [or cruises!]) are bad. But we know that these are not the things with which Jesus was involved. Jesus was involved with people on an individual level.

The Paramount Piece

What's important to you?

It is apparent that Jesus had a clear vision of what was important to him. Relationships were his priority. Look at the time that he took to personally care for Simon's mother-in-law:

"Jesus went to Simon’s home, where he found Simon’s mother-in-law very sick with a high fever. 'Please heal her,' everyone begged. Standing at her bedside, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and prepared a meal for them." —Luke 4:38-39 NLT

Consider your own personal life. The relationships found in your personal place are with the people closest to you. These are the people to whom you reveal yourself most truly. These are people you live with, share bathrooms with, watch TV with, share meals with, share hopes and dreams and fears with. These are people who know your tendencies, faults, strengths and push your buttons regularly. These are the people who can tell when you are serious and when you lie through your teeth.

Jesus built relationships like this.

Jesus prioritized relationships like this.

What better way to share the gospel than to live it out in front of an audience that can vouch for your character? What better person to share God's love with than a family member or close friend? Sometimes we replace the personal mission field with dreams of bigger, supposed better things.

Jesus did not do that.

There were times when his family rejected him. But his door was always open (we know his family played an important role in the early Church, so they came around). We need to be ready to support these intimate relationships. Again I ask the question, what's important to you?