Beyond The Comfortable Place

Mark describes and early situation in Jesus' ministry in which Jesus healed many people as the whole town gathered outside Simon and Andrew's home.  It was a wonderful time of ministry, and I am sure that for Simon and Andrew it was especially wonderful since this was in their home town.  Everything was perfect. 

The next morning when the disciples woke up they looked around for Jesus and could not find him.  People in town began to come and ask about Jesus.  I can imagine everyone thinking home great this was and how wonderful it would be for today to be like yesterday. 

The Disciples were thinking that it was time to set up shop in this place where they were accepted and where they had a great time of ministry.  What was happening was working and why change a good thing?

But Jesus had other ideas.  When they found Jesus they tried to get him to come back into town (he had gone to a quiet place to pray) but Jesus responded that there are other towns and places that he needed to preach at.  I think that there was a connection between Jesus praying and his decision to leave, because I believe Jesus had to battle with temptations:

• The temptation to have a ministry where he stayed in one place and people came to him. 
• The temptation to stay in the comfortable ministry that seems to be working while neglecting the calling that he had.
• The temptation to draw crowds because of the healing instead of preaching the good news.
• The temptation to see one experience as a repeatable event as a goal, instead of focusing on people.
• The temptation of taking the easy way out.

We have similar temptations.  Our churches and spiritual lives often rise to the place of being comfortable and having great experiences, but then we stop taking risks.  It's like faith is finding that place where we are comfortable and feeling good and having "success."  I don't find that in the scripture. 

We are like the disciples that come to Jesus and say, "Last night was great!  Let's do that again today."  Jesus' responds by saying, there are others to reach out to and we must go to them.  It is too easy for us to stay in those places where things seem to be working instead of reaching out beyond ourselves, and beyond our places of comfort and success.  If we really had FAITH in a big God, we would find Jesus and say, "Last night was great!  What's next?"