Albert Barnes Commentary Luke 6:12

"And it came to pass in these days, that he went out into the mountain to pray; and he continued all night in prayer to God." — Luke 6:12 (ASV)

And it came to pass in those days. The designation of the time here is very general. It means about the time when the events occurred that had just been narrated.

He went out into a mountain. Jesus was accustomed to go to such places to hold communion with God (Mark 6:46). He did this because it was secluded, free from interruption, and suited by its impressiveness and grandeur to elevate the thoughts to the God who had formed the high hills and the deep-shaded groves.

And continued all night in prayer to God. There has been a difference of opinion about this passage, whether it means that he spent the night in the act of praying to God, or in a place of prayer.

The Jews had places of prayer, called oratories, built out of their cities or towns, where they could retire from the bustle of a city and hold communion with God. They were built on the banks of rivers , in groves, or on hills. These were simple enclosures, made by building a rough stone wall around a level piece of ground, and capable of accommodating a small number of people who might go there to pray.

But the more probable opinion is that he spent the whole night in supplication, for the following reasons:

1. This is the obvious meaning of the passage.
2. The object for which he went out was to pray.
3. It was an occasion of great importance. He was about to send out his apostles—to lay the foundation of his religion—and he therefore set apart this time especially to seek the divine blessing.
4. It was no unusual thing for Jesus to spend much time in prayer, and we are not to wonder that he passed an entire night in supplication.

If it is asked why Jesus should pray at all if he was divine, it may be replied that he was also a man—a man subject to the same sufferings as others, and, as a man, needing the divine blessing.

There was no more inconsistency in his praying than there was in his eating. Both were means employed for an end, and both were equally consistent with his being divine. But Jesus was also Mediator, and as such it was proper for him to seek the divine direction and blessing. In this case, he has set us an example that we should follow.

In great emergencies, when we have important duties, or are about to encounter special difficulties, we should seek the divine blessing and direction by prayer. We should set apart an unusual portion of time for supplication. Indeed, if we pass the whole night in prayer, it should not be considered enthusiasm. Our Savior did it. People of the world often pass whole nights in plans of gain or in dissipation; should it be considered strange that Christians should spend an equal portion of time in the far more important business of religion?