Saturday after Ash Wednesday (March 8). FOR THIS PURPOSE

Prepare to Listen.  My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.  (Psalm 91:2)
 
Prayerfully Read Luke 4:40-44
40As the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on each of them and cured them.  41Demons also came out of many, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’  But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.  42At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them.  43But he said to them, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.’  44So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.
 
Prayerfully Wonder and Reflect
What surprised or challenged you about Jesus walking away from a successful ministry in Capernaum?
 
“They wanted to prevent him from leaving them.”  They made the same mistake as the Nazareth folk.  They thought they could keep Jesus to themselves, be the only ones to profit from his powers that drew crowds to their village in Capernaum.  This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; crowds coming to their off-the-beaten track little town.  Jesus was putting Capernaum on the map, attracting crowds to their town.  This was their chance to make money.  Of course they wanted to keep Jesus to themselves.
 
This may sound strange to us who know Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations.  We’d never prevent Jesus from fulfilling his God-given purpose to “proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also,” or so we think.  But I wonder whether our insistence that everyone should believe and behave like us isn’t an attempt to prevent people we find offensive or wrong from meeting and receiving the mercy Jesus freely gives.  We too need to be reminded that Jesus doesn’t belong to any one group or nation and won’t be contained and limited.  He must go on his way, a way that took him away from popularity in Capernaum to other towns in Galilee.[1]  Only those who leave the familiar and follow him, going to all sorts of people and places experience fulness of life in Jesus.

What do you need to let go of to follow Jesus to different places and people?
 
Prayerfully Respond
Lord Jesus, you were always willing to fulfill your Father’s purpose and go to new places and people.  Help me be open to where you are going today and courageous enough to follow you.  Amen.
 
Live obediently.  Follow Jesus even to unfamiliar places.
[1] Some ancient manuscripts and English translations of v. 44 use Galilee instead of Judea.  I’ve used Galilee since the next story takes place there.