Luke 5:12-16
“Notice what you notice.” Luke has two items that are not included in Matthew or Mark, and both jumped out at me. In verse 12 the man who approached Jesus was full of leprosy (NKJV, ESV). And verse 16 says that Jesus …would withdraw to desolate places and pray. What to make of these distinctions?
As to the first, I’m not surprised that Luke the physician would be more complete in his description of the ailment. But how would he know that? For me, I often wonder if Luke was an early disciple (but not an apostle) who followed Jesus, maybe even from very early in Jesus’ ministry? We know Luke was an excellent historian, but if he knows even the small details like covered with leprosy (NASB), how would he have gotten that information? In the introduction to his Gospel, Luke writes, Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us… (Luke 1:1-2). Although Luke does not include himself among those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses, a strong indication that he was not an early follower, still I wonder.
As to the second, Mark also mentions crowds pushing in on Jesus such that He could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places (Mark 1:45). Mark doesn’t mention Jesus praying in that particular verse, but earlier we saw that Jesus, …rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark … went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed (Mark 1:35). We have no doubts about Jesus’ prayer life!
Slava Bohu!!
I was thinking about the word desolate too and looked up definitions. Not knowing Greek or Hebrew, I think that the term must refer primarily to empty of people, not sadness, depression, dismal, etc. Sometimes we are unable to reflect deeply or hear God speaking when others are around us, even if they aren’t talking, sometimes when they are only in our head.
True, Debbie. I have found that I simply can’t engage in silence and prayer when others (okay, usually just Fred!) are in the room, even when they are sitting quietly, even praying themselves. Just works better in solitude. I understand why God said “go in your closet…” — not just to keep from showing off, but to make our prayer lives more sincere and more focused and intense.