It Was Supposed to Be a Quiet Time
January 23, 2025 - Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Mark 3:7-12
In 2019, I spent three days by the lake of Galilee. Each morning, I sat on the balcony, waiting for the sunrise. The world was quiet. I could hear the waves and birds, see fishermen casting their nets into the deep. It was a refreshing, sacred time. The lake is so beautiful that I finally understood why it is called the “Eye of God.”
After His clash with the Pharisees over healing on the Sabbath, Jesus, too, sought a quiet moment by the lake with His disciples. But it was not to be. News of His healings and exorcisms had spread, and crowds—both Jews and Gentiles—came from every direction. Their needs were pressing, their demands relentless, leaving Jesus no room to rest.
This scene reminds us that Jesus was not only divine but also human. He is the Son of God, the healer and liberator, yet He experienced the physical and emotional tolls of humanity. Though we never read of Him being sick, we do hear of Him being tired, hungry, thirsty, and needing sleep. Ultimately, His body was crushed on the cross. Jesus understood the fragility of human life because He lived it.
Despite all our medical advances, our humanity remains fragile. Illness, exhaustion, and emotional strain are inescapable parts of life. In the Gospel, Jesus asked His disciples to prepare a boat for Him—a simple act of self-preservation amidst the crowd. How do we care for ourselves when life presses in on us? Do we have sacred spaces to retreat to, as Jesus sought the quiet of the lake?
But it wasn’t only the crowd that posed a danger. The unclean spirits, proclaiming Jesus as the “Son of God,” threatened to reveal His identity prematurely. If Herod or the Romans had realized that the promised Messiah was among them, they would have crushed Him before His mission was complete. Jesus needed time to form His disciples, preparing them to carry His message after the Resurrection.
Tomorrow, we’ll hear about Jesus calling the Twelve, but today, let us pause. Consider the challenges, dangers, and spiritual battles Jesus endured to bring us salvation. In His divinity, He overcame. In His humanity, He empathized with our struggles. Let us thank Him for His steadfast love and the sacrifice He made for us.