Jesus went out of the house, away by himself, early in the morning.

The disciples went looking for him. They wanted him to come back. There were sick people outside Peter’s house, waiting to be healed. He said, “We’re going to other villages. I need to go preach there.”

I’ve always had this picture in my head of Jesus picking his way past the sleeping, snoring disciples, heading out for a time of prayer. I’ve probably written about it. I’m not sure that’s right.

In Luke’s gospel, the next story starts with “One day.”

One day Jesus walked along the shore, got in Peter’s boat, preached to a crowd, and said, “Let’s go fishing.”

Peter says, “We’ve been fishing all night and haven’t caught anything.”

All night. That’s when they went fishing. In the hours before dawn, they were out on the water, fishing, hoping to get the catch to the market.

On the morning Jesus got up and went to a solitary place to pray, it’s possible that Peter and Andrew were already up and off at their boats. James and John would have been staying at their own house and then gone off fishing.

When they all, either the disciples or the crowds came to find Jesus, off in his solitary place, it was after spending time on the water, working and thinking and talking.

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While other people went to work, Jesus went to be by himself. When his disciples and the crowds had plans and questions for him, he was following his own plan, in conversation with his Father. When other people needed to be cured, Jesus went to proclaim healing.

When we learn from Jesus’ time on earth how to be present with people, it may include being absent from people.

Remembering, of course, that his promise now includes always being with people. So we aren’t actually leaving them alone.