Missions & Shadow Missions
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (Mark 1:35)
The passage begins with Jesus in prayer. That Jesus would be praying is perhaps not too surprising but some of the circumstances surrounding this morning prayer time are certainly remarkable. Remember that just the night before the whole town had gathered before Jesus for him to heal the sick, cast out the demons, and presumably to continue to teach. This is exhausting work. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually.
And the next thing we see Jesus do is rise “very early” in the morning before sunrise to pray. Jesus, of course, is in continual communion with his heavenly Father. (He says very plainly in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.”) And yet he is driven out of bed early on this morning to spend time with his Father.
This is very interesting. Often when we find ourselves in a busy day or busy week, our work or other activities seep into the marginal time of our day. This wouldn’t be an issue on certain occasions except for the fact that we often relegate our spiritual activities entirely to our marginal time. In other words, we don’t put prayer and time in God’s Word, for instance, into the main part of our day but rather in the cracks and spaces we have between our main activities. As soon as we find ourselves with too much to do, our work or other activities spills into our marginal time. And if our spiritual practices like prayer are only located in our marginal time, prayer is the first thing to go.
Jesus did not place things like solitude or prayer in the margins of his day. His attitude wasn’t “If I get to it, I get to it.” No, he begins his day with what is most important to him.
The story is often told of Martin Luther, who was once asked what his plans were for the following day. Supposedly, he responded “Work, work, from early until late. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” (quoted from Purpose in Prayer by EM Bounds.)
And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” (Mark 1:36-37)
You can perhaps hear just a bit of anxiety in their words to Jesus – “Everyone is looking for you!” Where have you been? The crowds are starting to gather back at the house. There’s more sick people to be healed, more demons to be cast out, and everyone is waiting to hear what sermon you have for us today. There are crowds Jesus! Crowds of people who are waiting for you! Let’s go!
And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. (Mark 1:38-39)
If the disciples were surprised that Jesus would spend so much time in prayer, certainly they were even more surprised that he intended not to return to the gathering crowds of Capernaum after all, but to go on to other towns instead. This was perhaps a crystallizing moment for the disciples as he sheds more light on exactly what his intentions were. He says I have come out to preach. Jesus would do many important things during his earthly ministry but in his own words we see the centrality of preaching in his ministry. There are many things that Jesus could do but he lays out here what he must do. He must preach.
Jesus says his mission is to preach. And he is presented here with another mission that lies in the shadows of this primary mission. Everyone is looking for you Jesus. They need you. Come enjoy the adoration of the crowds.
Several years ago John Ortberg popularized the term “shadow mission.” A shadow mission is an alternative mission that lies in the shadows of our God-given mission. It is what we are tempted to live for in place of our God-given mission.
John Ortberg describes it this way:
“A shadow mission is an authentic mission that has been derailed, often in imperceptible ways. Part of what makes the shadow mission so tempting is that it’s usually so closely related to our gifts and passions. It’s not 180 degrees off track; it is just 10 degrees off track.” (Overcoming Your Shadow Mission)
The potential shadow mission here for Jesus is to limit his preaching to one small town and let the crowds build and live for their praise and adoration. Jesus of course rejects this shadow mission.
It is important for us to not only understand what our mission is but to identify what our potential shadow mission might be. And not only do individuals have shadow missions but entire groups of people can have a shadow mission. The church can have a shadow mission. Most churches if you visit their website, you can usually find a mission statement. And I wonder what you would find if instead of listing their mission statement, churches listed their shadow mission instead.
” A safe place for nice people.”
“Pretending that our lives are perfect while judging others.”
“Gathering people just like us for 25 years.”
Unlike churches, most people don’t have a website where they would list their mission statement. But I wonder what would be posted on social media if instead of taking pictures of what we had for dinner last night we posted our shadow mission.
“Avoiding conflict every way I know how.”
“Silently seeking affirmation in everything I do.”
“Refusing to become like my parents since 1975.”
“Doing all I can to find ways to unwind and relax.”
“Seeking the power and respect I have deserved all along.”
As we seek to root these shadow missions out of our life, Jesus invites to do more than exert our own will power to put these things to death. He gives us something bigger to live for. C.S. Lewis puts it this way:
We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory (essay)
Jesus invites us and enables us to live for something bigger. We are invited to leave the mud puddle to enjoy a vacation at the beach instead.
Discussion Questions
- How does having a purpose – knowing the why of our existence – help us when we face difficult circumstances?
- What does Jesus’ activity in verse 35 tell us about the priority of his life and ministry?
- Describe what Simon and the others may have been feeling when they realized Jesus was no longer with them.
- What do we learn about Jesus’ mission in verse 38? How might this have been surprising for Simon and the other to hear?
- John Ortberg describes a shadow mission as:
“An authentic mission that has been derailed, often in imperceptible ways. Part of what makes the shadow mission so tempting is that it’s usually so closely related to our gifts and passions. It’s not 180 degrees off track; it is just 10 degrees off track (Overcoming Your Shadow Mission).”
If Jesus’ mission was to go to the next towns to preach, what might have been a possible “shadow mission” for Jesus?
- Of the 4 shadow missions listed below which do you think could be a temptation for our church?
“Our mission is to help people feel okay about themselves so they can judge others.”
“We exist to be a safe place for nice people.”
“Gathering people just like us for 25 years.”
“Successfully avoiding risk and conflict through all means possible.”
- Of the personal shadow missions listed below which do you think could be a temptation for you?
“Avoiding conflict every way I know how.”
“Silently seeking affirmation in everything I do.”
“Refusing to become like my parents since 1975.”
“Doing all I can to find ways to unwind and relax.”
“Seeking the power and respect I have deserved all along.”
- How does the gospel address our shadow missions?
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