Last week I wrote about 3 reasons that Jesus sought solitude, and why we should too. This week, I’m going to cover 3 more.
3. Jesus withdrew before making an important decision (Luke 6:12-13)
This is how Luke recounts the choosing of the Twelve:
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
The gospel of Luke documents many times that Jesus prayed, showing how it was an essential part of His ministry and life.
In the Bible, there isn’t a place where Jesus instructs us how often to pray. He teaches how to pray, in the Lord’s prayer that we well know. In the Sermon on the Mount, He gives instructions about our posture when we pray, that we should not be doing so to gain attention, but rather like an unseen act of obedience between us and the Father.
But as many times as the gospels document that Jesus prayed, it is clear that prayer is essential to the life of the Christian. In this passage, Jesus prayed before making a major decision in choosing the Twelve who would walk with Him daily and be the ones who would carry on spreading the gospel after He returned to heaven.
So we too should spend time in prayer before making major decisions, to make sure that we are not rushing into something that isn’t designed for us. If that decision does not line up with the Word, then it is not something intended for us.
We should follow the example of Jesus and seek the Father’s guidance before making important decisions.
4. Jesus withdrew in a time of distress (Luke 22:39-44)
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down, and prayed:
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
The humanity of Jesus was put to one of its greatest tests in this passage. The medical phenomenon here is called “hematohidrosis” and it’s a real condition. The amount of stress that the body must be under in this state is extreme. These are the final hours before Jesus will face the cross. And He knew that He must. He prayed for another way, but I believe He knew inside that there was no other way.
The only footnote in my bible on verses 39-42 reads: “God does not ask for absolute perfection from His people, only a desire and determination to do His will.” (Jeremiah Study Bible, NIV)
Jesus knew for a long time that His human life on earth was going to lead to the cross. Back in Isaiah, it was foretold that He would be crushed for the sins of the world. Yet He still prayed that there might be another way. He spent His hours of distress praying to the Father.
God can handle anything. Since He created human feelings when He designed Adam and Eve, there is no amount of distress that you can take to God to make Him flinch. Jesus prayed so hard that He sweated blood. I’ve faced plenty of stress in my life but never to that caliber. God sent Jesus divine help and gave Him the determination to go forward and face the task at hand. He can handle it.
God knows you and I are not perfect. We live in a fallen world, and we are not half human and half divine. He never desires perfection from us, but rather that we would desire to do His will to the best of our ability. He does not leave us as orphans, to face the world alone. As Christians, we have His Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us, as our Comforter, Helper, Advisor, and Guide.
We have an open invitation to take any and all distress to the Father, at any time and at any place. He alone is the perfect help we need. He says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are Mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)
4. Jesus withdrew to focus on prayer (Luke 5:16)
A footnote in my bible says “Luke frequently focuses on Jesus’s prayer life, showing how it was indispensable to His life and ministry.” (Jeremiah Study Bible, NIV)
Prayer is communion with God, with the all-powerful, all-knowing Creator of the entire universe. And because of the sacrifice Jesus willingly made on the cross, we have access to His presence, to His ear. We’ll never get a voicemail, hold music, or a busy signal. When you speak to Him, rest assured that He is listening.
This is why solitude matters. His ear is never busy, but you know well from experience that our ears often are.
We are designed to slow down and get away more often than we do. The life of Jesus is a model for the Christian walk, and Jesus spent plenty of times going to lonely places to seek solitude. As a result, He was able to minister more effectively because He spent that time with God.
Your life is your ministry. You don’t have to be a pastor or a missionary to be in ministry. Every moment, every interaction is an opportunity to minister to someone. In order to do so effectively, we have to recharge now and then. We have to find our personal mountain and listen for the still whispers and receive the guidance and peace He longs to provide.
A final note of encouragement. If you’re like me and find yourself in a season where physical solitude is hard if not impossible to come by, take heart. Richard Foster also wrote,
“A portable sanctuary of the heart.” What a beautiful picture that is. Another name for a sanctuary is a temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16 calls us God’s temple, because God’s Spirit dwells in us. We are a sanctuary; we are a temple for the Holy Spirit. With Him dwelling inside of us, we can live in solitude, with our hearts in constant communion with God.
Because Jesus lived as a human, we have the example of His prayer life to guide us. Because He died, came back from the dead, and ascended to Heaven, we have the Holy Spirit inside our hearts to guide us in practicing solitude, whether physically alone or not.
Instead of fearing solitude, let’s lean into it instead and listen for the whisper of God.
Blessings,
~Lynne
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