Mark 1:35-39

Mark 1:35-37 – 35Very 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. 36Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

I love how Jesus got up very early in the morning, and went to spend time talking to God. He made it a priority, the first thing he did, to spend time with his Father. This is a great example for us. He went to a solitary place, where he could be alone, spending time talking to God.

Simon and the other guys must have been a little concerned, not knowing where he went, so they go looking for him. The day before Jesus had amazed everyone with his teaching, his healing, and by casting out demons. Everyone was looking for him. I can imagine the whole town again showing up at the house in the morning, looking for Jesus. He must have known this, so he went to a solitary place to be alone and pray. The guys must have thought, “What is he doing way out here? Everyone wants to see him.”

Mark 1:38-39 – 38Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Jesus tells them that he wants to go somewhere else, possibly away from the crowds in Capernaum. He wants to preach in the nearby villages. He says that this is why he has come. He gives his purpose here, to preach, and in as many places as he can. He wants to go out into the villages and spread his message to as many as possible. We should be doing the same thing. The easy thing for Jesus would have been to stay in Capernaum, where he was already drawing a big following, and where he was becoming very popular. Instead, he left there to go preach in places where the people had not yet heard the good news. So Jesus left Capernaum, and traveled throughout Galilee, preaching and driving out demons.