Jesus, Interrupted
How do you feel about being interrupted? Whether it’s been as you are speaking or working, interruptions have a way of annoying us because an interruption suggests that what you are doing or saying is not as important as the person or thing that is interrupting you. We can be so fixated on what we want to do or what we think we need to do that any interruption can jolt us into anger. Our pride can make us unwilling to be interrupted. When we read through the Gospels, something we notice about Jesus is that He was willing to be interrupted.
“On the other side of the lake the crowds welcomed Jesus, because they had been waiting for him. Then a man named Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come home with him. His only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying. As Jesus went with him, he was surrounded by the crowds.” (Luke 8:40-42)
It was fairly common for Jesus to be surrounded by crowds. In this instance, Jesus had just returned from the region of Gerasenes across the lake from Galilee where He had healed a demon-possessed boy. A crowd was waiting for Him and a leader in the local synagogue was among them. Have you been in a situation where someone important has given you a task or asked you to do something and you agreed? Requests from “important” people tend to jump to the top of the “to do” list and when we put an important weight on a task, interruptions are not tolerated.
“A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped. ‘Who touched me?’ Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, ‘Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.’ But Jesus said, ‘Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.’” (Luke 8:43-46)
Jesus got interrupted. A woman who had been sick for as long as the little girl had been alive, reached out and touched Jesus and Jesus did not ignore it. Even though He was on His way to the house of a very important man, even though it seemed that time was of the essence, Jesus was okay with being interrupted. Nothing is too important for Jesus to miss someone in need.
“Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.’” (Luke 8:47-48)
Even when we stop what we are doing because of an interruption, most of the time the interruption does not get our full attention. At best we are annoyed and give the interruption a fraction of our consideration. This is not at all how Jesus treats this woman. Not only does Jesus stop for this woman, He searches for her to the point where she realizes she could not go unnoticed, and Jesus, for the only time in all of Scripture, calls this woman, “daughter.” Jesus is not only okay with being interrupted, but He doesn’t make the interruption feel like an interruption! As the story concludes, it seems this interruption has cost the little girl her life. Someone from Jairus’ house came out while Jesus was speaking to the woman and gave Jairus the news that his daughter was dead. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore,” they said. It seemed like this interruption had cost Jairus his daughter. But death has never stopped our Lord.
“But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed.’” (Luke 8:50)
When Jesus gets there, death flees and the girl is only sleeping.
“Then Jesus took her by the hand and said in a loud voice, ‘My child, get up!’ And at that moment her life returned, and she immediately stood up! Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.” (Luke 8:54-55)
Thank God Jesus was okay with being interrupted. Whether it was spur of the moment plans to eat at Zacchaeus’ house or patience with a sinner who interrupted a meal, Jesus was constantly looking for opportunities to share the love of God with the people of Earth and He was okay with being interrupted. That’s the mission we have been given as His followers, to share the Gospel message and the love of God with all people. Let’s put our pride aside and, like our King, let’s be willing to be interrupted—you never know what God might do with your next interruption.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
—Redeemed
