Spiritual Disciplines for the Soul: Jesus' Rhythm of Life

William Gaultiere © 2006

Jesus lived in a particular rhythm of life that was essential to his well-being, his own faith-life, and ministry to others:

• Inner spirituality -> outward ministry
• Silence and solitude with the Father (and other spiritual disciplines like memorization and meditation on Scripture, praying the Shema twice per day, submission to Father, secrecy) -> focused ministry to others
• Spiritual friendship with the disciples in his inner circle -> ever widening ripples of loving community (synagogue and temple worship, community gatherings, etc.)
• The life of God flowed into Jesus such that he “grew in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52) and “he learned obedience from what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8) -> the life of God overflowed from Jesus into others

The Gospel of Mark highlights Jesus’ inside-out rhythm of life.  Nine times Mark gives examples of Jesus going on spiritual retreat either alone with the Father or joined by his disciples.  Jesus received guidance and power from the Father in these retreats such that major ministry decisions are made, 1,000’s are fed, people are healed, disciples are transformed:

• Mark 1:9-13: Pilgrimage to be baptized and 40 days fasting in desert (alone) -> Called his first disciples
• Mark 1:35: Early in the morning (alone, routine) -> decided to leave Capernaum to go minister in Galilee
• Mark 1:45: Lonely places (alone, routine) -> people came to him for ministry
• Mark 3:13: Mountainside (alone) -> gathered and appointed 12 apostles
• Mark 6:30-32: By boat after John the Baptist died and the disciples’ mission trip was completed (with disciples, cut short) -> Fed 5,000 with five loaves and two fishes
• Mark 6:45-46: Mountainside (alone) -> walked on Water to the disciples in a storm
• Mark 9:2-13: Mountaintop (with Peter, James, John) -> Transfiguration
• Mark 14:12-31: Last Supper (with disciples) -> prepared disciples, especially Peter, for denials, crucifixion, resurrection
• Mark 14:32-42: Prayer of surrender in Gethsemane garden (with Peter, James, John) -> went to cross and rose from dead

If Jesus needed regular, dedicated time for quiet prayer with his Abba, meditation on the Scriptures, and spiritual community then how much more do we!  Let's join the disciples in observing Jesus and following his example!

“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1).

 

I learned this analysis of Jesus' pattern in the Gospel of Mark from Paul Jensen’s Ph.D. tutorial, “Time, Space, Spirituality and Mission in Spiritual Classics: 1st Millennial Leaders and their Movements”