After the night, daybreak, and perhaps rest

Morning: Psalm 38; Daniel 5:1-12; I John 5:1-12

Evening: Psalm 119:25-48; Luke 4:38-44

Have you passed the night at the bedside of a loved one, or one of your patients, or a friend? This sacred, yet arduous, task is a labour of love. Luke writes: “At daybreak Jesus departed and went to a deserted place.” He likely needed to find a place to rest. It sounds as if, at Simon’s house, he had attended to sick people all night. From the very beginning, Jesus was immersed in the hard and holy reality of human life. If you have cared for the sick through the night, you understand. But daybreak comes, and perhaps rest.