Reading through the Gospels, especially the Gospel of Mark, you get the sense that Jesus’ life was fast-paced, full of the hustle and bustle demands of being the long awaited Messiah.  But was it?

What did the rhythm of Jesus’ daily routine look like?  How close does the rhythm of my daily routine mirror that of Jesus?

The past several days have been crazy.  Our house has been in chaos.  The AC went out upstairs so all eight of us were sleeping downstairs.  No big deal, except all but one of our bedrooms are upstairs.  No big deal, except our kitchen has been under construction from water damage we had six months ago.  Insurance has finally gotten around to fixing the damage, a true blessing because we get new cabinets and countertops out of the deal.  But with everything from the kitchen in the living room and office, that doesn’t leave much room for eight people to sleep.  The last three days, from morning to night, I’ve been dealing with contractors and helping put the house back in order.

Everyone is off to bed now, the house is quiet, and finally I’ve plopped down on the couch for a moment of rest.  The fog of chaos has lifted.  I feel like I can breathe.  I wonder if Jesus ever felt this way?

In reading the Gospels this morning, one phrase lept off the page at me.  See if you can guess which one…

That day when evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”  Leaving the crowd behind, they took Him, just as He was, in the boat.

What’s your guess?

“Leaving the crowd behind!”

Right now, that sounds amazing.  For me, I’d reword it “leaving the chaos behind!”

A significant part of the rhythm of Jesus’ life was “leaving the crowd behind.”  Jesus regularly slipped away to a solitary place to pray.  Jesus had His garden hideaway in Gethsemane.  Jesus would get in the boat with the disciples to leave the crowd behind.  Jesus would climb a mountain to an isolated location to meet with the Father.

Silence is good.
Slow is good.
Solitary is good.
Still is good.
Simple is good.
Sleep is good.

Rest.
We need it.
God ordered it.
Jesus promised it.

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28

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