John 7 ends with the words, "And they all went home..." then chapter 8 continues this thought with the contrast "...but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives."
They all went home, but Jesus...He went to the Mount of Olives. There's something poetic about this single line. A depth to these few words that we can easily overlook.
Their reflex was to retreat to their family, their friends, their comfort zone. His reflex was to retreat to His Father.
We live in a busy world. Full of amazing things to see, tasks to be completed, chores to be done, errands to be run, books to be read, podcasts to listen to, social media to scroll, paychecks to earn, sports to play. We are busy, indeed. We can fill every moment and not even notice. But at what cost?
You know where I'm headed with this. There is nothing new in this message, but there is something profound. If we cannot make space for silence, how can we possibly expect to hear? We are too quick to declare that God is silent, when perhaps the real issue is that we aren't still enough to hear Him?
We don't need a louder God; we need a quieter heart.
Lamentations tells us to "...wait quietly" while the Psalmist instructs us to "be still before the Lord..." Isaiah writes that in "quietness" we find our strength and Exodus tells us that God wants to grant us "rest." In Samuel we are admonished to "stand still" and watch what mighty things God will do for us. Job sits silently before God, asking for His instruction. And often, sometimes in Jesus' most trying moments, we have the example of the Son of God—when everyone else went home, He went to a mountaintop to seek the presence of God.
Jesus found His rejuvenation and safety in the presence of His Father. So naturally, His reflex would be to seek Him in tough moments. God has blessed me with many people in my life that help me feel safe, seen, and loved. And each one of them is a reminder that they reflect a part of what God Himself offers me in full.
Psalm 62 says:
Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
May we be intentional this week, as Jesus was, in seeking stillness. In finding our mountaintops to give space for God to speak over us.
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