Can You Slip Away?

But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray - Luke 5:15-16

“Jesus would often slip away” - isn’t that such a beautiful picture? You can see people getting ready for a big dinner, lots cooking going on and chatter and kids running everywhere and someone asks, “Hey, where did Jesus go?” Turns out he slipped away. And he’d be back for dinner, but he knew he needed to get centered again, refocused.

And not only does Jesus slip away, he invites us to slip away.

And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) - Mark 6:31

Have you been busy enough to miss a meal recently (or slam something down while driving or in between meetings)? That’s exactly what the scripture is talking about. “Time to eat” is equivalent to “time to rest” or “time to recreate.” Meals were events, and they were the center of renewal and connection in the ancient world. So not having that time was a clear sign of being out of balance. Not too different than today, although the meaning of meals has shifted somewhat.

Can you hear Jesus inviting you to slip away today? What might it look like to say yes to his invitation?