I Did the Kids' Sermon, Too

I also had to do last Sunday’s children’s sermon. I picked one verse from the scripture reading I was preaching on: Mark 1: 35: 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.

The simple kids’ lesson is that Jesus thought it was pretty important to start his day with prayer so we should, too.

The adults’ lesson is a bit deeper. Jesus had just spent the day before preaching in the synagogue and amazing the people with his authoritative teaching. Word spread quickly. That night the whole village of Capernaum, about fifteen hundred people, showed up at the gates of the house where he was staying, carrying their sick and demon possessed. He must have stayed up quite late to touch and heal so many. Yet he gets up early, while it’s still dark, and makes time for prayer.

My natural question is: why does Jesus have to pray to God if he is God? I don’t know, but sometimes I talk to myself, don’t you? I think he is giving us a wonderful example of a spirit-filled man. Prayer is important and we don’t do it enough.

I like that he goes off to “a solitary place”. He chooses nature, his creation. Throughout scripture he prays in similar settings: the wilderness, the Mount of Olives, the garden of Gethsemane, the desert.

I guess the lesson for kids and adults alike is: Pray.