Dissolving Views.

Let me rapidily sketch those fifteen mentions of the gospel writers, attempting to keep their chronological order.

The first mention is by Luke, in chapter three.  The first three gospels all tell of Jesus’ double baptism, but it is Luke who adds, “and praying.”  It was while waiting in prayer that He received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  He dared not begin His public mission without that anointing.  It had been promised in the prophetic writings.  And now, standing in the Jordan, He waits and prays until the blue above is burst through by the gleams of glory-light from the upper-side and the dove-like Spirit wings down and abides upon Him. Prayer brings power. Prayer is power.  The time of prayer is the time of power.  The place of prayer is the place of power.  Prayer is tightening the connections with the divine dynamo so that the power may flow freely without loss or interruption.

The second mention is made by Mark in chapter one.  Luke, in chapter four, hints at it, “when it was day He came out and went into a desert place.”  But Mark tells us plainly “in the morning a great while before the day (or a little more literally, ‘very early while it was yet very dark’) He arose and went out into the desert or solitary place and there prayed.”  The day before, a Sabbath day spent in His adopted home-town Capernaum, had been a very busy day for Him, teaching in the synagogue service, the interruption by a demon-possessed man, the casting out amid a painful scene; afterwards the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, and then at sun-setting the great crowd of diseased and demonized thronging the narrow street until far into the night, while He, passing amongst them, by personal touch, healed and restored every one.  It was a long and exhausting day’s work.  One of us spending as busy a Sabbath would probably feel that the next morning needed an extra hour’s sleep if possible.  One must rest surely.  But this man Jesus seemed to have another way of resting in addition to sleep.  Probably He occupied the guest-chamber in Peter’s home.  The house was likely astir at the usual hour, and by and by breakfast was ready, but the Master had not appeared yet, so they waited a bit.  After a while the maid slips to His room door and taps lightly, but there’s no answer; again a little bolder knock, then pushing the door ajar she finds the room unoccupied.  Where’s the Master?  “Ah!” Peter says; “I think I know.  I have noticed before this that He has a way of slipping off early in the morning to some quiet place where He can be alone.”  And a little knot of disciples with Peter in the lead starts out on a search for Him, for already a crowd is gathering at the door and filling the street again, hungry for more.  And they “tracked Him down” here and there on the hillsides, among clumps of trees, until suddenly they come upon Him quietly praying with a wondrous calm in His great eyes.  Listen to Peter as he