​Be Wary of Divine Interruptions

This Sunday we will be examining a passage from Luke as we continue our Neighbors series. Luke 8:40-48 begins as Jesus is returning to Galilee. The Galileans rush to greet him. As Jesus is welcomed, two main events take place within this passage. The first person Luke wants the reader to recognize is Jairus and the second is a woman. Luke gives us no name for the woman, but the names are not what Luke intends for us to take away

Jairus, the first person introduced in the passage, is a ruler of the synagogue. In other words, Jairus was like the president of the building where the Jewish assembly or congregation meets for religious worship. Jairus was a very important man. Here we see Jairus falling at Jesus’ feet begging him for mercy. He is looking for help and shows much love for his dying 12-year-old daughter by begging at Jesus’ feet.
 
The second character Luke wants us to note in this passage is a woman. Luke gives no name. This woman, while she may have no name, is the most important person that Jesus interacts with from the eyes of Luke in the first half of the passage. She touches Jesus’ garment and was healed. This woman had spent everything on doctors, but a simple touch of Jesus’ clothes healed her. Jesus doesn’t allow her action to go unnoticed. He calls the woman out of the crowd.
 
This story is important to us as Christians because we see Jesus and his disciples give attention to a ruler. A divine interruption happens with a woman who has no real prominence in Luke’s writing or society. Peter tries to get Jesus to overlook the touch when no one will step forward and admit touching Jesus. Peter wants to continue to help the ruler of the synagogue, but Christ takes a pause to seek out this once sick woman. He calls out the low person even when Peter had no real concern for her. This woman could not give the disciples or Jesus anything because she has already spent everything physical on doctors. Jesus finds no partiality. He calls for the woman. She comes forward. Jesus declares to her and the crowd that her faith has made her well.
 
This message from Luke should speak to our hearts as Christians. We should never show partiality when it comes to helping, serving, and giving our time to others. As we approach this passage on Sunday, begin thinking how do you show favoritism to one person over another? Does social status such as wealth, position, or how much you have in common reflect how much time you will give to help someone? The Bible calls us as Christians to love others. We should not prioritize helping or loving people by how much it pleases or helps us. Remember moving forward this week, Christ has called you out of a crowd and healed you even when you have nothing to offer him. He loves you with no partiality so love others without partiality.
 
Thomas Sandifer