A Solitary Life

As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

When we are in the world and surround ourselves with people, we have a sense of belonging. When we obtain positions of power and prestige, we have a sense of significance. And when we hoard up wealth and possessions, we have a sense of security. Consequently, we can fool ourselves into believing everything, including us, is okay. But when we are on our own, with nothing to distract us, we have to look at ourselves and face the reality of who and what we are. There is nowhere to hide. And nowhere to run. As many of us discovered last year, this can be very scary, forced into solitude because of enforced lock-downs. 

But this solitude can actually be very liberating IF we spend our time with God. We soon begin to realize that we don’t need people or power or possessions. We don’t need people because, fundamentally, we belong to God. If God with us, then he is enough for us. Well, mostly. And he will show us how we have made people and their opinion of us so important to us, we rise and fall depending on what they think of us. “But they are fickle,” he says. “See how they welcomed me as a hero when I entered Jerusalem, but a few days later they were howling for my blood!” (see Luke 19:28-40, 23:31). “Better you care about what I think of you, no?”, he says. “And I think you are wonderful.” Do you see?

We don’t need to be powerful to obtain a sense of significance because God tells us that we are significant to him, and in him. “You are the salt of the earth,” he says. “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13,14). He gives us his Great Commission to make disciples of all nations, teaching the world what he has taught us (see Matthew 28:18-19). He involves us in his plan of salvation. What’s better than that> The power we get in the world is fleeting. And it results in a life of paranoia. We are always fearful that we will lose the control we have obtained and do crazy things to retain it. Look at any dictator in the world as an example. So, isn’t it better we get our significance from God? 

And, finally, we don’t need to hoard possessions to be secure. Possessions bring insecurity, not security. Aren’t you afraid they will be stolen or destroyed? Therefore Jesus advises: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:19-20).

In solitude, we will discover these profound truths. So, like we see Jesus doing in the passage we are reflecting upon today, let us take time out to be in solitude with him. 

And the more time we take out, the more blessed we will be.