Dave preached tonight from Mark 5:21-43, looking at Jairus and the woman with the issue of blood. As he pointed out, things can be going along quite smoothly when suddenly we are confronted by a ‘great dose of reality’: none of us are immune to emergencies and though we prefer life when “the world’s all as it should be”, there are often times when we are on the “road marked with suffering” instead and need to know where God is in all of this.
Jairus and the unnamed woman were very different: Jairus was a synagogue leader, probably quite an influential and respected man. The unnamed woman, suffering from illness for twelve years (the entire length of the life of Jairus’s daughter), was now classed as unclean, and any wealth or status she had ever had had gone by this time. She had spent all her money on doctors who had not been able to heal her. The crowd may have parted to let Jairus through, but they were not about to part for her.
Nonetheless, both Jairus and the woman had one thing in common: they needed Jesus. They were both facing personal tragedies: Jairus’s beloved daughter was dying; the woman was facing a debilitating and ongoing illness. Their approach to Jesus was different: Jairus approached him verbally, pleading earnestly for his help, whilst the woman approached him silently, not daring to speak, but with faith in her heart that one touch could heal her. The common element in both their lives was faith.
When the woman manages to touch Jesus, she knows she is healed and Jesus knows power has gone from him. He stops to question ‘Who touched me?’ and now there is no room for hiding. But for Jairus, this interruption, not on his schedule, is desperate, for in the waiting, he is told that his daughter has died. It is too late now.
We often think it is too late. As a result of this interruption, Jairus’s need has turned to tragedy. But Jesus encourages him to keep on believing: “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” (vs 36). This word speaks to all of us when we are waiting; when circumstances seem inauspicious; when hope is gone.
The walk to Jairus’s house must have been a long one for him. By the time they arrive, the professional mourners are there, but Jesus dismisses them. This is not the time to listen to the dirge of unbelief but to listen to the stimulating voice of Jesus which generates faith. In the midst of all the turmoil and interruptions, Jairus witnesses the miracle of his daughter’s restoration.
We find it hard to welcome interruptions into our daily lives. But Jesus is with us, even in the interruptions and we need to focus our faith on Him and keep our attention firmly fixed on Him, for then we see how interruptions are actually His gift to us.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY INTERRUPTIONS…
Our days, planned with military precision, unfold before us:
Lists, jobs, tasks, measurable goals lie before us,
Neatly packaged, highlighted, shaded, underlined.
And then come interruptions…
Telephone calls, e-mails, unexpected jobs,
Requests not anticipated, crises unplanned,
Diverting, distracting, drawing us away from
The military list of precise practices we so primly wished to accomplish.
At the end of the day, with frustration coursing through us,
With our beautiful lists untouched,
Dejection seeps through us, failure licking
Our hearts with its insidious message of inadequacy.
But in the quiet of the morning,
As we wait before the Holy One,
Your Spirit reminds us of the futility of our planning
And of the joy of interruptions.
By the swiftness of circumstances,
The suddenness of ‘chance’,
We understand that Your hand directs our paths,
Giving new directions to our plans.
The friend who needs a listening ear…
The kindness offered to a colleague in need…
The diversion giving way to the unexpectedly beautiful panorama…
These interruptions are to be cherished, not avoided,
Carefully nurtured, not shunned.
For in the unexpectedness of interruptions
Comes God’s still, small voice,
Upturning our schedules,
Wrecking our best-laid plans,
Ransacking our tidied sock drawer that we may have ‘beautiful feet’ telling the Good News,
Like paint trickling down a canvas to create new hues.
Interruptions are the daily reminder that
Life belongs to God and not to us alone.
Life is the gift He gives,
Interruptions the means He uses to attract our attention
Away from our obsession with control,
Bringing us to the place where surrender allows diversity,
Obedience fosters delight
And contentment with godliness brings great gain.
As a child clamours for attention,
Refusing to be sidelined,
Understanding the need for relationship
Above the mundane tasks of nurture,
So God uses interruptions
To tap on our shoulders,
Reminding us of His abiding presence,
So quickly forgotten in the rush of the day:
His touch, fleeting at first,
Persistent if ignored,
Reminds us our Father longs more than anything
For the fellowship of togetherness,
The intimacy of conversation,
The joy of sharing.
To shun Him is to lose out on the wonder of relationship;
To plough ahead with our pre-packaged plans
An insult both to omniscience and loving care.
As we lay down our lists,
We relinquish control,
Surrendering to the One who runs the universe
With never a hitch.
Interruptions are our friend,
The daily reminder of God’s involvement in our lives.
“We must be prepared to have God interrupt us”
(Dietrich Bonhoeffer)