Matthew Heffron on Stories of Jesus Helping Us Live with Proper Balance in This World

"Throughout the Gospels, Jesus heads into the wilderness, often alone. The first instance occurs in Matthew 4, right after His baptism, where He is led by the Spirit into the wilderness and fasts for 40 days. At subsequent points in His public ministry, Jesus also withdraws into the wilderness to pray. The Evangelists recount these stories for us, not only as history, but because we should learn from His example.

"During His public ministry, Jesus was in high demand. His work healing, exorcising, teaching, and preaching resulted in crowds clamoring for His attention. They needed His help, and the Gospels tell us He was moved with compassion for their plight.

"Why, then, does Jesus take time out to go into the wilderness? He is doing important work, and yet even at moments when people are ready to receive that work, He withdraws away from them. In our overworked, too-busy society, that can seem strange, and perhaps even a mistake. The people need Him, and yet He leaves. However, we know that Jesus is the perfect man, not only sinless but also the ultimate example of the just person, so we know that His decision to withdraw into the wilderness is virtuous."

In a recent commentary, writer Matthew Heffron reflected on what we can learn from the stories of Jesus.

To access Mr. Heffron's complete post, please visit: 

Voyage Comics & Publishing: How stories can help us "escape" the world and join Jesus in the wilderness (1 MAR 19)