The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.
Mark 1:12

And immediately he left the synagogue …
Mark 1:29

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side …
Mark 6:45

And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him …
Mark 9:14

Mark is a quick Gospel. Not only is it the shortest of the four Gospels, but there is a sense of haste that you pick up on as you read it. Every chapter seems to have a new adventure driving the book forward.

The word immediately (euthus in biblical Greek) occurs 41 times in the book of Mark, and only 10 other times in other New Testament books.

The word immediately is used in different ways in Mark. Sometimes immediately describes the movement of people toward Jesus. People heard what Jesus could do (heal the sick, feed a multitude, raise the dead), and they ran to Him for help. Some who ran to Jesus for help are similar to people today who sprint to the next health fad, the next workout regimen, the next mindfulness practice, in order to find comfort, meaning, and purpose. We know as believers that Jesus is the right place to go. But, when you only want what Jesus can do to make your life better, but you don’t want Jesus, there’s a problem. In all of the Gospels, we see Jesus being misunderstood.

Jesus also acts with immediacy. Jesus didn’t stop because people struggled with understanding who He is and what He came to do. He went from one place to the next, from one person to the next, teaching them, healing them, praying for them, and then He continued on to the cross.

When we get lost in our haste to ease our burdens, we can remember that we have a Savior who didn’t get lost on His path to save us. We don’t have to wait for His gifts of forgiveness and grace. Even though we sometimes need to wait for our desires to be fulfilled, Jesus gives us what we need right away for each day. Let us also act with immediacy to share His love and forgiveness with all.