Luke 6:12

THE PRAYING CHRIST

‘He … continued all night in prayer.’

Luke 6:12

Our Lord’s choice of the Twelve marks a crisis in His ministry. Before the choice He spent the night in prayer. The praying Christ! We find in His prayers

I. A revelation.—The prayers of our Lord reveal to us His true nature. (a) We see how perfect was His manhood, and how like ours His life in its dependence, submission, and communion with God. (b) We see He was higher than man, that He was God, for while man asks for mercy, He was sinless.

II. An example.—The prayers of our Lord teach us how to pray. (a) There is a strained spirituality which thinks stated times and definite acts of prayer unnecessary. But the Lord went aside to pray. (b) There is a perverted spirituality which regards public worship as a substitute for private prayer. Our Lord was constantly in the temple, yet He withdrew into solitary place for prayer. (c) There is a lax spirituality which says that in this busy age to work is to pray. The busiest man that ever lived was Jesus Christ, yet He made time for prayer.

III. An inspiration.—The praying Christ teaches us how real a power prayer is. The answers given to the prayers of Christ are a pledge of ours.

—Bishop F. J. Chavasse.

Illustrations

(1) ‘It is the characterising feature of Luke’s Gospel—more than any other evangelist—that he mentions the prayers of Christ. He does not, indeed, ever give the words—that is the prerogative of John only. With the exception of what Jesus prayed in His last passion, no other writer but John has ever recorded what Jesus said in any prayer. But five times Luke tells us that Jesus prayed—he evidently appreciated the fact.

(2) ‘The eves of all events are solemn calls to prayer. Is to-morrow to summon you to some great duty? Or is it likely that to-morrow will rise on you with some dark cloud? Or do you look for some very bright joy that is to break with the morning light? Then double your evening prayer. Have the comfort, to-morrow, to feel that you go to it well armed! Be sure that you carry the more Presence with you! How many days would have been saved their bitter, bitter regrets if they had had more praying yesterdays!’