Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35

The phrase ’very early in the morning‘ will be the focus of this edition of Quiet the Noisy Heart.  

This description comes to us after a long exhausting day of hands-on practical ministry with the people of Capernaum; so it is peculiar that it would be so early in the morning.  It would make more sense to us if it said that Jesus slept in after such a day, in order to recharge for another demanding ministerial go around, and that the disciples had to rouse Him from His rest.  Instead we are confounded by Jesus’ endurance and commitment as we see Him rising ‘very early’.    
The time itself deserves some study.  The NIV version breaks up the ideas of ‘very early’ and it being ’still dark’ into two separate phrases, in order to emphasize the earliness of the hour, while maintaining that it is in fact a new day.  The original Greek uses less words to convey the earliness of the hour.  Take a look at the Greek with a literal translation, as it appears in it’s untranslated order:

  kai                prwi                    ennuca                        lian 
 and      early, morning      in the night      very, exceeding

When translated and reordered, these four words give us a picture of Mark’s intent.  He is greatly emphasizing the earliness of the hour when Jesus rose in order to pray.  We have the understanding of ’early‘ or ’morning‘, ’very‘ or’exceeding‘, and then a word about it being ’night‘.  This puts Christ’s rising in the hours after the previous day, but before the sun’s rising in the next day.  For the author, this seems to have been an important point to highlight to his audience.  Exactly how early He rose to pray.  The question that this emphasis on timing encourages us to ask is why…

Why did Jesus wake up so early?  

The simplest answer is that of necessity.  Jesus had to wake up super early, before everyone else, if He was going to get any time alone with His Father.  From the surrounding verses we gain the understanding that Jesus is hemmed in on all sides by the needs and demands of others.  From the verses immediately before this we learn that ‘after sunset’ Jesus was still healing and driving out demons, and immediately after this verse the disciples rush in exclaiming that ‘everyone is looking for you!’  The assumption is that Jesus was in high demand and solitude was not to be easily found.  It seems quite logical that the early nature of Jesus’ rising was out of necessity, but even that necessity is unique to Christ.  

Why, in the midst of such popular demand, would He feel the need to get alone with the Father?  It would appear to any onlooker as though Jesus is on task, and that His ministry is bearing fruit.  Why seek the Father while successful?  

Perhaps Jesus recognized a danger in the popularity of His ministry and the corresponding draining effect that the increasing demands of others would place on Him.

This is a caution that we in the church must take note of.  
Jesus retreated to His Father at all costs, despite exhaustion, because it was infinitely more important to do the Father’s will, than be considered successful.  It seems so often that we, in the church, continue on with a program, or a style of teaching, or a topic, because it is popular or successful.  Jesus’ rhythm of ministry seems to speak against that approach.  Not against success in ministry, but against the elevation of success or popularity above the practice of the presence of God in our lives.  If we are able to say that we were too busy doing God’s work to be with God, then we are out of step with Jesus’ example and in danger.
Get alone with the Father, no matter what it costs you.  
Too busy to get alone with God?  
Even if it means stealing time from your much deserved rest, get alone with the Father!

Indeed, it seems as though the only time Jesus could be alone with God was very early in the morning, before the demands of the day took hold, before the calls, before the cries for more could tweak His ear.

May we allow Christ’s rhythm to become our rhythm.  May we get alone with the Father no matter what it costs us.