BACK IN THE SADDLE

                Coming back to the routine of life after a time of vacation has always been a struggle for me. It takes me time to get reoriented and refocused. The glow of time away quickly fades and is replaced by the realities of daily life and ministry. Usually when I return from vacation, I want to have a day or two to get my bearings again. That rarely happens. Instead, there is a backlog of things waiting for me, each demanding my immediate attentions.

                I wonder if that is how Jesus felt. He would often pull away for times of prayer and reflection by himself. These were important times for him. But these times were most often interrupted by the constant demands of those around him. We see one of those experiences in Mark 1:35-37. 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. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"

                The classic example of this has to be the Mount of Transfiguration. This significant event is recorded for us in Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9. Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on a mountain to pray. While they were there, Jesus’ glory was revealed. He was joined by Moses and Elijah. It was such an overwhelming experience that the disciples didn’t want it to end. It did end, and Jesus led the three back down the mountain, still reveling in what they had experienced. Now here is the fly in the ointment. As soon as they got back, they were confronted with a problem that had to be solved. A man had brought his demon possessed son to Jesus’ disciples to have him healed, but they could not get the job done. When they saw Jesus coming, everyone ran to him, expecting him to make things right.

                I can hear the exasperation in Jesus’ voice as he replied to the urgent entreaties accosting him.    "O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. Matthew 17:17-18

                Jesus knew something that we all have to learn. Mountain top experiences are great, but we live in the valley. Jesus used his times away to refresh himself, so that he could go back into the valley. We all need time away from the routine of our lives. Those times help us to be refreshed and to refocus. We also need to be ready to jump back into the fray. We were called to serve our Lord in the valley, not camp out on the mountain top.

                When Jesus was about to face the most difficult time in his life, he picked up a towel and washed the disciples’ feet. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:12-17