Routine Prayer

“But he withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.” In Luke 5:16, the regularity of the prayer life of Jesus is noted. This verse appears just after the healing of the leper and before the conflict with the scribes and Pharisees. They had questioned his authority when he healed the paralytic man. Danker[1] indicates that Luke make clear that before Jesus faced opposition he spent time with God in prayer. Jesus withdrew to a deserted place in order to focus on the goal of his ministry. This goal was contrary to the expectations of the people. Barclay, commenting on this verse, states: “He drew strength for the battle of life from the peace of God.”

[1] Jesus and the New Age (1988), 120.

copyrighted 2005

Religion