GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 9:30
Shut Off the Cell Phone
The cell phone has become ubiquitous, perhaps the most fitting symbol of modern life’s hectic pace. I once saw a picture from a developing country, and even there, people in the photograph had cell phones.
A writer described visiting a restaurant and noticing a group of young people seated around a table, their heads bowed. At first, he was impressed with their devotion—praying before they ate. Then he realized they were all looking down at their cell phones.
I served as chairman of a committee where meetings were often disrupted by members excusing themselves to answer cell phone calls. I purchased a cell phone-blocking device and activated it before meetings. No one received calls, and the sessions went smoothly. (These devices are now illegal.)
Shutting off the cell phone today is one symbol of getting rest.
Jesus and three of his disciples had been on a mountain praying. None of the writers explain how long they were there, but it was long enough for the disciples to sleep. From there, he faced a hostile crowd and a father who had a boy possessed by an evil spirit. Then Mark wrote, “And from there after they departed, they went through Galilee, and he did not wish that anyone should know.” (9:30) There is some uncertainty today about the mountain on which Jesus prayed and near which the healing miracle took place. Whether it was Mount Hermon or Mount Tabor, it was still some distance from Galilee, which is northwest of the Sea of Galilee. When Jesus and his disciples arrived in Galilee, Jesus did not want his presence publicized; he wanted undisturbed rest— the ancient parallel to shutting off the cell phone.
Previous
Next
Directory