“All men seek for thee”

As public a figure as He was, Jesus seems to have had a proclivity for solitude.

In his final moments of physical freedom here on earth, Jesus prayed alone in the garden. Immediately following His baptism, He was ushered away by the Spirit into the wilderness. And on at least one occasion, He essentially became invisible to the pressing mob surrounding Him so that He could pass right through and out of the crowd.

Mark’s Gospel tells us of another instance where Jesus sought solitude. Late in the night – or more precisely, very early in the morning – after healing Peter’s mother-in-law, Jesus slipped out of the house and “into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35).

No doubt Jesus must have often felt alone in this material world. No one could have understood what He faced. No one could have shared the burden He constantly felt to save those He met from destruction. And none could have effectively offered the comforting touch of a friend who was just there for Him.

None but the Father, that is.

It is no coincidence that Jesus’ private time was usually taken up with prayer. Only the Father understood. Only the Father offered the comfort He needed from the physical and emotional pains of this human life to which we are all – as He was – subjected. And perhaps most importantly, staying in touch with the Father was vital to keeping Him focused on His mission.

We often forget that Jesus was very much just like any other man. The sole missing ingredient was the sin nature which all the rest of us inherited from Adam. Just like the rest of us, Jesus experienced emotion, pain, and yes even temptation.

It is possibly the gravest theological error to think that Jesus was not frequently tempted to sin. He was every bit a man just as the rest of us – but without sin. Paul confirms this in Hebrews 4:15, 16 – in fact, he tells us that this fact of Jesus’ temptation “like as we are” is the very thing which gives us access to Him as believers.

It was those quiet, solitary moments of prayer that allowed Jesus to retain His focus. But those moments couldn’t last; eventually the mission had to proceed and the solitude had to be interrupted. The Apostles went looking for Him, and upon finding Him they uttered a truth more profound than they could have realized.

“All men seek for thee.”

Indeed. Just the evening prior, the Apostles had watched as the entire city of Capernaum gathered at Peter’s home. Many had come just to catch a glimpse of this increasingly famous young rabbi, but many others came out of necessity. They sought Him because they needed Him.

The word translated as ‘all’ in the Apostles’ statement literally means without exception. It is the same word translated “whosoever” in John 3:16, when Jesus tells Nicodemus that everyone who believes in Him as their Savior will be saved. It’s the same word used in the Revelation to describe the wiping away of all the tears of the saints at the close of time. In fact, it is the same word that entirely closes out the English-language Bible: “… the grace of God be with you all. Amen.”

It is often said that wise men still seek Him, but that statement merely touches on one far deeper and of far greater import: All men still seek Him.

The loneliness felt in the midst of a crowd is from our desire to be united with Him.

The seemingly bottomless pit of depression results from our need for His affection and acceptance.

The cold, heartless clutch of addiction is a product of our constantly grasping for any momentary distraction from the pain we feel over our being separated from Him.

All men seek Him; not just some – ALL. Even as you read this, you seek Him – regardless of your spiritual state. Whether your need is salvation, guidance, peace, or just His love – He is what you’re looking for.

We also seek Him here at A Reasoning Faith, and if we can help as you seek Him, please contact us. AReasoningFaith@hotmail.com.