Detachment from Pressure and Emotion
Jesus never gives in to FOMO, instead pacing with a God who is slow to anger and abundant in steadfast love.
Self-control shows up in a way we don’t often name in today’s passage. There’s no overt temptation being resisted and no obvious moral failure that was avoided. Instead, we see Jesus exercising restraint in the face of something good. Success, affirmation, and attention are strong pulls for most anyone. After a day of healing, casting out demons, and drawing crowds, Jesus certainly has acquired the notice of many. But he slips away early in the morning to pray, alone.
This is one of the quieter forms of self-control: the discipline to step away from what feels urgent in order to remain faithful to what is essential. Jesus does not allow the expectations of others, or even the apparent success of his ministry, to determine his next move. Instead, his actions flow from something different. Perhaps the best explanation is communion with God the Father. Whatever it is, it’s not human desire for more attention. And it certainly doesn’t give in to FOMO.
In this way, self-control here is not about denying desire, but about ordering desire. Jesus is not avoiding the work; he is refusing to let the work control him. Whether or not he feels pressure to capitalize on the moment, we don’t know. But we do know that he doesn’t do it.
When the disciples finally find him, they tell him what anyone might say: Everyone is looking for you. It sounds reasonable. Even faithful. Isn’t this why he came? But Jesus responds with clarity. His decision is grounded, not reactive. This is self-control shaped by vocation (what we might label “the call”). He knows who he is, what he is called to do, and just as importantly, what he is not called to do, even when the crowds are eager to give him praise.
This passage reminds us that self-control is not simply about saying no to what is bad, but about having the freedom to say no to what is merely pressing. In a world that rewards immediacy, productivity, and constant availability, Jesus models a different way of being human. He governs his own life not by demand or acclaim, but by prayerful discernment. And in doing so, he shows us that self-control is not constricting. Rather, it is what allows a life to remain aligned with love (which is patient), purpose (God’s), and the Spirit’s leading.
Mark 1:35-39
Early in the morning, well before sunrise, Jesus rose and went to a deserted place where he could be alone in prayer. Simon and those with him tracked him down. When they found him, they told him, “Everyone’s looking for you!”
He replied, “Let’s head in the other direction, to the nearby villages, so that I can preach there too. That’s why I’ve come.” He traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and throwing out demons.
Prayer
God,
I’m on vacation right now. I feel the pressure of missing things. I didn’t get my whole “To Do” list done before I left - like always - and it’s calling to me. I feel like there are people who are disappointed, waiting for me, and even perhaps just innocently ignorant that I’m on vacation. In truth, I hate letting people down.
So help me, God: Teach me the pace of Jesus. Help me to know his level of anxiety, or actually, his freedom from it. I recently heard a term new to me: emotional sobriety. God, give me that. Not apathy, but detachment from unhealthy emotion, particularly in relation to what I think others think of me.
By your Spirit & in Christ,
Amen.