Contemplative Bible Reading

Mark 9:30-31a (New Living Translation)

30 Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there, 31 for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them.

Jesus wanted more time so that He could teach his followers.

As the pendulum swings in Christianity in this modern or post-modern or whatever-we-call-it-this-weekend world, I witness a swing more towards practice and less towards knowledge. (For those who study artificial intelligence, this is a variation of the declarative vs. procedural knowledge debate, but I digress.) This is mostly good stuff from well-intentioned good people.

Still, we see Jesus wanting time for teaching. There were things that Jesus wanted his followers or students to know. He needed some time.

Question: Jesus was God. Why didn’t He just snap his finger and viola, the knowledge would be in the minds of the followers?

I have no answer. I often wish God would do such for me and eliminate all that need for time, but I, thankfully, don’t understand all the ways of God.