Jesus spent a lot of time in the mountains by himself praying. Sometimes he would minister all day and then spend all night in prayer. He always came away from those times reenergized and ready for the work of the ministry. We can learn so much from these episodes. Today we see Jesus choosing prayer over prestige.
John 6:15
“Therefore, when Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”
Wasn’t In the Plans
The Jews wanted to make Jesus king because of all the great works He was doing. He has just fed the five thousand, and the crowd saw that He was able to provide for their needs. He was the exact opposite of Herod and Pilate, who only wanted to take from them. The problem was that wasn’t part of His Father’s plans. Jesus didn’t give it one ounce of thought but went to the mountainside by himself. He needed to be refreshed by His Father.
Prayer Over Prestige
The temptation for power isn’t something to be messed with, and Jesus wasn’t immune to it. He was tempted in the desert by the Devil who promised Him all the kingdoms of the world. Now the people want to make him king of Israel, and he ran the other way. Instead of reveling in the people’s praise, He got alone with His Father and re-centered Himself. He was always about His Father’s business, and He couldn’t let anything distract Him.
Spend Some Time Away
Sometimes we will be tempted with a position of power and prestige. We need to seek God and see if it is the right thing. It could end up being a huge distraction and headache from what we were supposed to be doing. Jesus knew that becoming king wasn’t the right thing, so he went the other way. If you are considering an opportunity, spend some time away. Shut everything off, open your Bible, and start praying for wisdom and guidance. It worked for Jesus.