Rejoining

Mark 9:14-16

      Have you ever had to come back for a really great vacation and start back into work? You spent time away relaxing and taking in a totally different environment, and then you have to step back into the humdrum of life. You shift from parasail to diaper-sale, sun block to Desitin, mountain stream to washing machine. It can be hard to make the mental shift back to the everyday.

      Jesus and His three closest disciples have been up on the mountain top, literally. They have had an encounter with the Living God. They have heard His voice and lived. And now they have walked back down the mountain into the middle of an argument. Peace, harmony, and tranquility go right out the window. No time to readjust to normal life, they are thrown into the middle of the mix.

      I don’t know about you, but I hate walking into the middle of an argument. I almost always feel lost. I don’t know what has been said about what. You have to try to get the participants to slow down enough to let you get caught up. You have to try not to take sides too soon, or you may find yourself stuck on the short end of the facts.

      As you enter, the people try to get you to line up with them. They will try to pull you to their side. Remember, there are always at least three sides, one of which will be the truth. And chances are, neither party has all the truth.

      So you enter and the tug of war begins. Jesus doesn’t even get the chance to even catch His breath before He is swamped with adoring fans. I could have been easy for Jesus to sit down and just start meeting people’s needs, ignoring the argument. I am sure there were many in the crowd that day that could have used a touch from Jesus. It would have been easy for Him not to get involved. But that isn’t Jesus. He gets involved with the messes in life, even our messes.

      I wonder what the people saw in Jesus that day that overwhelmed them with wonder? Had His face changed after His encounter? Did more of His divine glow seep through? How easily the crowd was distracted. They were listening in on the argument and the man’s dilemma with his son, and in a moment they are running to greet Jesus. Jesus doesn’t get distracted. He heads straight for the middle of the argument.

      Next time you land in the middle again, take a few moments to get your bearing, and then jump right into the middle. Don’t be afraid of the controversy. Ask for wisdom. Keep calm. Don’t take sides.

Out of the Way Places

Mark 7:24

      Have you seen the advertisements for vacations in very remote places? Desert islands, rain forests, high places, cold places, you name it places. Some ecotourism might be good, bringing money and awareness to some very challenging places. I wonder if the “eco” part takes into account the transportation effect of vehicles and jet plane fuels. But I digress. Some people want to get away from their lives, the busyness and drivenness, and become someone they aren’t for a short period of time.

      The newest trend in vacations is staycations, the taking of time right at home. It might involve day trips, or just making the most of your natural habitat. Staycations are pretty economical, especially when compared with ecotourism. They are a way to get away from the busyness of life without the expense and travel around the globe. But it can be hard to keep life from invading your staycation. The phone will still ring. Facebook will be demanding you post.

      Jesus has traveled to an out of the way place, Tyre. It is a town located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It is not exactly in Jesus’ normal neighborhood. It was a wealthy Roman town, gaining wealth from the purple die extracted from the mollusk shells found in abundance there. The land just East was very rich farmland. Jesus goes here to try and stay anonymous. He is unsuccessful.

      We have noticed repeated attempts by Jesus to get away from the crowds. He wants time to regroup with His disciples, but even this out of the way place has ears. People find out He is there, and some travel. At least one woman, perhaps a geographic transplant, hears where Jesus is and comes.

      Vacations are about taking time away. Jesus didn’t have to worry about smartphones or instagram. And yet His location could not stay secret. He wanted alone time, but it just wasn’t happening.

      If you really want to get away, here are a couple of suggestions. Turn off all electronic devices (or check them only once a day and limit the time spent to say 20 minutes). Make a break in your routine. The cleaning, laundry, lawn chores, and car maintenance, can all be on hold for a few days. Purpose to do other things, non-routine things. Take time to read a good book or two. Learn to drink tea with a friend with whom you have wanted to spend more time.

      People will find out where you are, eventually. But enjoy the time away as much as you can. The pressing needs of one woman interrupted Jesus vacation. If you are lucky, the needs of others will be held off for a short time, time enough for you to get recharged.