In today's Gospel, Mark 3: 20-21, Jesus enters a house. The crowd is so great that Jesus isn't even able to eat. Relatives hear of this and come to rescue him, for, as far as they were concerned, "he was out of his mind." Jesus, the Incarnate God, who became like us in all things but sin is deemed insane, that is, mentally ill! His relatives see him no longer as being able to take care of himself and make his own decisions concerning his life or ministry. They are determined to take possession of him!
It is difficult enough when total strangers turn against us but it is a totally different story when our family and relatives do so. This is the predicament in which Jesus finds himself! He is totally alone. No support but that of His heavenly Father.
Often, after being bombarded by crowds of people seeking to touch but the hem of his garment, and not even giving himself time to eat, Jesus goes off to some deserted place to pray to His Father. It is important that you and I, also, set time apart to talk to our Father in heaven. We need to take control of our lives by "carving" out periods of solitude, stepping aside from the crowd and all of the demands put upon us, all of the pressures that descend upon us, for quiet and alone time. We can get so caught up in the whirlwind of activities that swallow us up hour after hour after hour that we become slaves and lose control of our time and lives--yes, we are, then, "out of our minds." We are unable to think clearly or at all--our emotions blind us to living rationally!
May you and I realize that when we are "out of our minds," bombarded by the demands of our jobs/ministries, it is time to step back, breathe in the peace that solitude brings--the solitude of nature, of our favorite places to calm down to surrender to the Lord, seek the Lord's wisdom and prudence.
No comments:
Post a Comment