Interruptions

Walking with Jesus is practical. For instance, how do I deal with interruptions? When I am doing something important, or on my way to an appointment, or the telephone rings while I am in the middle of something, what is to be my attitude?

Interruptions can be annoying. The telemarketer seems to know that I have both hands in a project. The politicians always call while we are eating dinner. False teachers come to the door when my work has a deadline. I have tried being abrupt, discourteous, even rude. But Jesus shows me a better way.

And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. (Luke 8:41–43)

Jairus was a prominent man with a sick child. Jesus was on his way to help him. Any delay could mean that she would die, and there was a delay. Even though the hemorrhaging woman didn’t mean to stop him, she was like many interrupting people; she had a need. She intended only to touch the fringe of His robe, thinking that would be enough. It was. She was healed instantly.

But Jesus stopped. He said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me” (Luke 8:46).  This statement interrupts my thoughts with an aside, another observation. How did He know? What kind of perception was this? Recently I’ve realized that when a Christian ministers to others in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit does the work, but the believer feels exhausted. Some call it “transfer of energy” but it is more than that. It is about the Hand (God) using the glove (His people) to bless people. In the process, the Hand of course is inexhaustible, but the glove experiences wear and tear.

Although He was fully God, Jesus was also fully human. He may have felt that same sensation of being exhausted as the power of the Spirit in Him flowed to heal the woman who had interrupted Him. Perhaps that is how He knew that someone had touched Him.

After Jesus was interrupted and stopped to speak with the woman, someone came up and declared that Jairus’ little girl was dead. Of course the Giver of life had no problem with this. He continued to the man’s house, raising the child from the dead and bringing great joy to her mother and father.

This story teaches me about interruptions. Sometimes they are from thoughtless people who do not consider others but push their own agenda, convenient or not. But interruptions can also be an opportunity to bless even thoughtless people. When a telemarketer calls and I am rude, that puts me in the same category of many who answer the phone, but if I speak kindly and do whatever the Holy Spirit asks of me, that person could experience God and God’s power in some way.

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Lord, even though I know how You handle interruptions, at times I still become impatient or annoyed when they happen. Forgive me. I need to be like You, perceiving the need in the lives of those who interrupt. Help me be willing to take a moment and talk with those who jump into my life when I have other things to do. Maybe my plans are not as important as they seem, but even if they are, You are able to help me do what needs to be done after the person who interrupts me is given Your blessing.