May 01, 2024

Dear Friends,

I hope you can join us tonight as we continue our study in the Gospel of Mark. Tonight we look at Mark 1:35-39. Notes are attached.

LIVING THE CHRISTLIFE

WAYNE BARRETT

HILLTOP LAKES CHAPEL

MAY 1, 2024

Mark 1:35-39

35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate

place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they

found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the

next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all

Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

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More lit. “And early, [still] much in night, having risen up, he went out and departed to a desolate

[erémos] place, and there he was praying.”

Jesus was a man of regular prayer. He forbade:

Praying for show and recognition

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray

in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I

say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room

and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees

in secret will reward you.—Matthew 6:5-6

This is not to forbid offering any prayers in public, which seems clear enough from all

the rest of Scripture

But Jesus does teach the practice of private prayer in the strongest terms

“room” – tameion. Strong’s: a store-chamber, secret chamber, closet; a granary,

barn.

“and having shut your door…”

Jesus was contrasting complete privacy, even secrecy, as the place for prayer, not

only as the antithesis to hypocritically praying for recognition, but also as the

place where earnest and honest prayer can take place.

“pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will

reward you.”

secret – kryptos. Things hidden, concealed. Jesus does not mean “secret” as

“something I know that I will share with you but don’t tell anyone else.” He is

pointing to something much deeper, that the ways of God himself are hidden

to many and that our inner life, which includes our prayer life, is one that no

one else may know about but is at the heart of our relationship with God.

Repetitive prayers, valued for their many words

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that

they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows

what you need before you ask him.—Matthew 6:7-8

“heap up empty phrases” – battalogeó, lit. to stammer

“for they think that they will be heard for their many words”—they may be sincere, but

they are misguided

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This is not a teaching against long times of prayer, but against “long-winded” prayers of

meaningless repetition

Jesus highlighted false models for prayer both from the Jews (above) and from the Gentile

Here Jesus was practicing it before he was then teaching it.

Scripture often records particularly long episodes of prayer in Jesus’ life prior to significant decisions or

events.

Here:

Jesus made the time found the place for needed prayer

If Jesus needed prayer, how much more do we need it!

“desolate” – erémos, often translated wilderness

vv 36-37 – “And Simon and those who were with him…”

“searched” – Gk. hunted, chased

More lit. “and they found him and they say to him...and he says to them…”

“Everyone is looking for you”

And this was the point, the theme… and perhaps a main object of Jesus’ prayer’

Now that Jesus had worked miracles, “Everyone is looking for you”

What to do next? Where to go from here? Assuming he was supposed to go.

v 38 – “And he said to them…”

This after much time in prayer

Let us “go on” – allachothen – from another place, by another way

Jesus certainly meant that they would leave, but it can be interpreted that he also meant

them to leave in a way that others would not notice

The decision had been made not to “build a ministry” there in Capernaum, although the

immediate prospects, on the surface, seemed to be rife for it

What was the nature of Jesus’ ministry going to be? This, it appears, had been confirmed.

Jesus did not stay in Capernaum, or go to Jerusalem, or go to Rome…

He went to “the neighboring towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out”

[Jesus in Nazareth]

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes

of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this

Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” —Luke 4:18-21 (cf Isaiah 61:1-2)

Jesus followed his calling, which was God’s plan, and which would not have made sense to man.

v 39 – “And he went throughout all Galilee…”

“preaching in their synagogues”

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