In their defense, they had no way of knowing that they were interrupting the most important work in the history of humankind. They had no way of knowing because Jesus did not express those sentiments to them. When Jairus interrupted Jesus’ journey to beg Him to come to his house and heal his daughter, Jesus went. When a desperate woman interrupted His trip to Jairus’s house, Jesus stopped to talk to her.

Jesus allowed Himself to be interrupted because He did not see the encounters as interruptions. Jesus saw the needs that drew people to Him. He understood their reasons for breaching social etiquette in order to talk to Him. He did not alow Himself to become angered or annoyed. Instead He willingly put His own agenda on hold in order to meet their needs.

What kind of impact could we have on the people around us if we followed His example?

Pray with me,

Lord, I want to be so aware of Your purposes for my life that I treat even interruptions as opportunities to love others.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Reflect on:

In this passage, Luke 8:40-56, Jesus’ words and tone are striking. How does He address those who interrupt Him?

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

⁴⁰ Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. ⁴¹ Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house ⁴² because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. ⁴³ And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,^[a] but no one could heal her. ⁴⁴ She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

⁴⁵ “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

⁴⁷ 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. ⁴⁸ Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

⁴⁹ While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”

⁵⁰ Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

⁵¹ When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. ⁵² Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”

⁵³ They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. ⁵⁴ But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” ⁵⁵ Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. ⁵⁶ Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

When were you interrupted recently, and how did you respond?

What do you want to take away from Jesus’ example in this passage?

Consider these passages for further study on Loving Others:

Leviticus 19:18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

I Timothy 1:5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

I John 4:11-19

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

¹³ This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. ¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. ¹⁷ This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us.

Devotional thoughts of Gary Chapman. It makes you consider how you make your decisions when things are thrown at you unexpectedly. Take more opportunities that are right around you.