And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Mark 5:34 (ESV)
It had been a morning of one interruption after another strung together like pop-beads. I’d get started on my Bible study lesson–for instance–and the phone would ring with a friend who needed encouragement.
Back to the Bible study, and a few minutes later I’d be called away by a prayer need. Pen in hand and study guide open again. But not for long. Delivery man at the door. “Thank you. God bless you.”
Jesus’s ministry was a continuous stream of interruptions. How many times do we read that Jesus was “on the road to…” or “on His way to…” when something significant happened?
He was a guest at a wedding–a guest– when the party ran out of wine. The only way to solve the problem was for Jesus to jump-start the miracle part of His ministry.
I’m especially moved by the story of the woman who tugged on the hem of His garment. Crawling along the ground in pain, weakness, and utter despondency over her problem, the woman interrupted His former plan to heal a man’s young daughter.
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Jesus stopped, met the bleeding woman’s need for healing, called the once-crawling one “Daughter,” even though her problem had left her feeling abandoned, useless, and repulsive.
Then, once her need was met, He proceeded to what He originally intended to do. Well acquainted with interruptions, He created some of the most moving scenes in Scripture while on the way to something else.
Faith step: Jesus didn’t let interruptions spoil His mood for living fully engaged in the business of carrying out His Father’s instructions. What can you and I do today to adopt a similar attitude? See how many times you can genuinely thank the Lord for interruptions today.
