Post #3076209

22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. -Matthew 14:22-24 We often forget the immediate context of the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus went alone to pray in the wilderness after hearing about John the Baptist's execution. The people followed Christ to where He was, and He showed compassion on them. He did not refuse them, did not say "I don't have time for this," and nor did He rebuke their neediness. Once that crowd is healed, taught and fed though, *then* our Savior dismisses them. He even instructs the Apostles to go out by boat, perhaps to give them a moment to rest from their labors too. Then He goes right back to what He wanted to do in the first place: praying by Himself in sweet solitude. Did Jesus know a storm would brew, terrifying the disciples? Absolutely, for He knows all things. But He knows that the disciples will survive: after all, He plans to come and deliver them. He does not fret as He goes out alone to pray. Here Christ gives us a pattern by which we all ought to live. Yes, we must prioritize worship and service to neighbors. Yes, we must put the needs of others before ourselves. But this does not mean we neglect our own needs and desires. Christians are not buddhists: self interest and desire are things God designed in us, and we honor God when we don't ignore them. Christ could have gotten in the boat and prayed in the company of the Apostles. He could have prayed silently while hiking with the crowds back to their homes. It's not about prayer itself. Instead, He *wants* to be alone for solitude's sake, to be refreshed. Having taken care of others, now is the time to do what He *wants* to do. In our lives, we must imitate Christ in this manner - to be unselfish, but still remember to take care of the self that God made for us.