discipleship lab: inevitable interruptions luke...

Luke: God on Display [SEPTEMBER 20, 2015]

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Discipleship Lab: Inevitable Interruptions Luke 8:40-56

Introduction: Interruptions and distractions. We all experience them, and all feel the effects. For parents, you understand that kids are a walking interruption factory. For college students, its video games, or social media, or Netflix binge watching, or anything, really. For some distractions and interruptions are called "multi-tasking", for others it leaves you inefficient and ineffective. Interruptions occur when something we are doing with high value is taken up by something of seemingly less value. Thus it creates tension, stress, and leaves us wondering what happened to our day. No one had a greater job with more pressure than Jesus. If anyone had reason to blow people off so He could do what He needed to it was Jesus. Yet Jesus came to “seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10) and that “repentance and forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed I His name to all nations” (Luke 24:47). To do this, He set out to show the nation of Israel who He was, to call them to repentance, and to train up men who would deliver the message when He was gone. We said last week that training was so important to this mission, and could easily have trumped everything else that He did. But Jesus never let His overall mission or the tyranny of the urgent override His love and compassion for people. What Jesus showed His disciples in coming back from their field trip was an invaluable lesson of seeing potential obstacles as opportunities and what seems like a roadblock to what one is trying to accomplish as the most redeemable use of time. In showing this, He also reinforced to the disciples to necessity of faith, that it is by faith that we please God (Heb. 11:6), and by faith we find salvation (Eph. 2:8-9). The Display: Jesus has power over death and disease The Players: An influential man, an only daughter, and a female outcast The Situation: 12 year old is dying, a suffering woman for 12 years The Setting: Jesus returns from a field trip to waiting crowds. These most likely included those that needed healing, heard His teaching, and were captivated by His celebrity.

3 lessons in discipleship when interruptions arise:

1. Value people over program Luke 8:40-48 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. 41

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, 42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. 43 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. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and

immediately her discharge of blood ceased. 45 And Jesus said, "Who was it that touched me?" When all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!" 46 But Jesus said,

"Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me." 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And he said to

her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace."


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The greatest commandment is clear: Love the Lord your God with all of who you are, and secondly, love your neighbor as yourself. Our goal is to love God by making much of Him, yielding our lives to Him, worshipping, obeying, and magnifying His name. We are also called to love others, both those who are in the family of believers (one another) and those who are lost (in unbelief). The fact is that everything else will pass away, be burned up and will not transcend into eternity, but God’s Word and people will. This then becomes our greatest focus, our biggest time investment, and defines our mission. While accomplishing this, we have many other aspects of life: work, family, hobbies, responsibilities in our community, and many other good activities. Some of these are highly routine (we spend 106 days of our life brushing our teeth…at least most of us do) and seemingly insignificant, while others seem more important: raising kids, serving the church, reaching the lost. We build structures to accomplish these things, even in the church, and often these structures are good, but can be distracting. In other words, we can be so focused on our job, we miss out on time with our family. We can be so locked in on teaching a lesson, preparing music, or handling the upkeep of the building that we miss the point of it all, which is people. That is why we set our priorities in descending order of importance, from Biblical principles, to people, to program, to property. Each has its place, but the first two are of vital importance, the latter two of lesser.

Make yourself available In the text we find Jesus coming back with His disciples after a long night on the boat, an interesting experience on the other side of the Lake, and now back to His normal operation. If He was hoping to debrief with the men He had them dashed. Immediately there were demands on His time from a crowd, and particularly from a ruler of the synagogue, which meant this man had some social pull and was influential in the area. The request was made by a father who was desperate but trusting, who was facing the potentiality of the death of his only child, and who held out hope that Jesus could heal her (see Matt. 9:18 for his declaration of trust. Note Matthew records the final outcome, while Luke tells the story in increments) Jesus demonstrated two important aspects of availability to His disciples: time and compassion. First off He was willing to spend valuable time with people, not simply extra time. Time is a precious commodity that we all have equal amounts of, so to give our time to someone means we believe they are valuable enough for it. Jesus only had a certain number of days to get everything done before He went to the cross, but He did not rush past people to accomplish it. It is actually amazing that in this narrative things seem to slow down as He is engulfed by the crowd. Jesus was frightfully busy but never seemed to rush. He had much to accomplish but never cut people off. Time, both quantity and quality, are important in any relationship, but especially with our kids, spouse, and those we hope to disciple. In recounting her testimony, Rosaria Butterfield recalls how a friendship with a pastor and his wife challenged her and changed her life by the infusion of the gospel:

“My Christian life unfolded as I was just living my life, my normal life. In the normal course fo life questions emerged that exceeded my secular feminist worldview. Those questions sat quietly in the

crevices of my mind until I met a most unlikely friend: a Christian pastor. Had a pastor name Ken Smith not shard the gospel with me for years and years, over and over again, not in some used car salesmen way, but in an organic, spontaneous, and compassionate way, those questions might still be lodged in


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the crevices of my mind and I might never have met the most unlikely of friends, Jesus Christ Himself…Ken Smith spent time with me ---and not just spare time. He spent pricey time ---real time.”1

Jesus’ willingness to spend time with people came from His desire to show compassion. Time and compassion go hand in hand, as we are willing to be longsuffering with people, to meet their real needs and to point them to Christ. Notice that Jesus went out of His way for both people in this story, and His agenda never trumped theirs. Compassion and time are summed up in 1 Thessalonians 5:14, where we are called to “admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with them all”. Each of these demands time, listening, understanding, and doing what is ultimately best for them.

Let yourself be accessible Not only was Jesus willing to be compassionate and give time, He was also accessible. Any type of leadership requires a certain level of accessibility, letting people into your world. Jesus was the king of the universe, the Lord of all creation, and the master of the universe (the original He-Man). Yet, He was willing to be in a position to serve all types of people: the rich and influential, children, and the marginalized. This was possible because Jesus lead by humble service (Phil. 2:5-8) rather than demanding expectation. In order to be accessible, Jesus was willing to be interrupted. When little children were brought to Him that He might lay hands on them and pray, the disciples rebuked the people. But Jesus, seeing it as an opportunity to not only bless, but to teach. "Let the little children come unto me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 19:13-14). In the scenario of healing Jairus' daughter, Jesus took the time to be interrupted by a woman who needed extra attention, so He was willing to redirect His efforts. Loving people demands that we are willing to sometimes lay aside what we are doing, which may be good and profitable, to be able to have a conversation or meet a need. Think about how often we have an opportunity to do this with our children (no matter their age) to show them that they are infinitely more valuable than any project we are working on. Think about those in this church that would be blessed by your willingness to stop what you are doing and engage in their life. One of the greatest impacts in my life that my father made on me was NOT so much the great, wise, and truthful nuggets he gave me (although there were some), but the fact that he took time with me, went to all of my games in high school, and was willing to say "no" to other opportunities so he could spend time. Because of this, he had my ear and attention, and impact was and continues to be made. Accessibility buys opportunity for ministry.

Work to be intentional This leads to the final principle, where we that Jesus was intentional with His mission. Jesus was busy, worked to the point of exhaustion, but was never in a hurry. He was always willing to stop, slow down, and be with people. This did NOT, however, mean that He spent time with EVERY person. Though Jesus was divine and never gave up His divinity, He functioned within the limits of humanity. In other words, He did NOT heal everyone. He could not meet with everyone. Every "yes" to someone meant 10 "no's" to others. The issue was not necessarily quantity, but intentionality. We can't do everything or fix

1 Rosaria Champagne Butterfield, “The secret thoughts of an unlikely convert: an English professors journey into

Christian faith, p. 1,67. This book is a personal testimony of a professor whose goal was to advance radical leftist ideologies, who was a practicing lesbian, and whom God saved through the transforming work of the gospel of Jesus Christ.


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everyone's problems, but we can allow our lives to be directed toward loving people, to make them important, and to help them. I love when I hear that folks in this church who make decisions this way. I recently talked to a good friend who, in retirement, made a decision to spend his time targeting people to go out to a meal with and seek to encourage (of which I've been a recipient). This is intentional living, and this makes people more important than program. The disciples needed to know, even though they were to receive power and authority, to give people time, to show compassion, to be accessible, and live intentionally. Jesus taught them by healing two different people to show the same principle: faith over fear.

2. Fight for faith over fear Luke 8:49-55 While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said, "Your

daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more." 50 But Jesus on hearing this answered him, "Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well." 51 And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to

enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. 52 And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, "Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping." 53 And they

laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But taking her by the hand he called, saying, "Child, arise." 55 And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be

given her to eat

Jairus

Fearing Death & Sorrow To watch a child face imminent death, especially when it is your only child, is one of those situations we hope no one has to face. Here was a father who was desperate, willing to fall at Jesus' feet (a theme in Luke) and implored, or begged Jesus to heal his daughter. He was facing the potential of a lifetime of sorrow and sadness that would never go away if she died.

A call to faith Though Jairus came in faith (Matthew's account records that his daughter had already died, yet he trusted that Jesus could lay His hands on her and she'd live. To his astonishment, Jesus agreed to go with him, and they began to travel toward the house, his daughter still alive but hanging by a thread. As they began to go, the crowd pressed in, slowing the progress, and an anxious dad's faith was tested. Then Jesus stopped altogether to talk to a social misfit. Think about how you would feel if you were so close to this healing, and Jesus refused to feel the sense of urgency. While Jairus was contemplating this, a messenger came and told the news that every parent dreads, "your daughter is dead." But Jesus followed this by saying, "do not fear, only believe, she will be well." Jesus had already agreed to go and heal, but He was going to do it on His terms, in His timing. What Jairus needed to learn was that he could trust Jesus to uphold His promises, but would have to wait for Jesus' timing, which is often the hardest thing in our lives. This meant that part of putting our faith in Jesus means facing our greatest fear and trusting even those to Him.

Experience of healing Jesus came to the house which was filled with loud waling and mourning (which was a normal form of mourning in Jewish culture), and the people of the house laughed at the fact Jesus said the young girl was only sleeping (this reminds us of Sarah in the OT who laughed at the fact that she'd have a child in her old age - Gen. 18:12-14). Nothing is impossible with the Lord, even when it seems that way. Jesus


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then called the child to arise, showing that He has power and authority over death, and she lived (and ate, which I'm pretty sure I'd want to do after dying for a bit).

Faith strengthened Not only did the young faith of Jairus have to be strengthened, but so did the faith of the inner 3, Peter, James, and John. Notice that Jesus brought these three with Him into the house. They were going to be given authority over demons and to cure diseases, They needed to operate by faith, but faith did not mean that they would always get what they asked for, or the timing they asked for, but that they could trust that God would always do what brought Him glory, fulfill what He promised, and what was ultimately best. This is the same faith that we need to have, that drives out fear.

Bernice

Fearing Disease & Loneliness Now consider this woman (whom church history has claimed as Bernice), who for as long as this young gal had lived had experienced pain, sorrow, loneliness, hopelessness, and shame. Her condition meant that she was deemed unable to attend the synagogue or other religious activity, and she had spent all her money trying to find a cure, which had left her in more pain, broke, and broken. If anyone has dealt with chronic pain or have experienced a type of disease that no cure was available, you know the hopeless and fearful thoughts that enter your mind. You know the pain of loneliness and the despair of missing answers.

Faith overcoming fear This lead to this women doing what she normally would never have dared to do. She boldly approached Jesus and believed that if she could simply touch His garment, she would be saved. This is the epitome of faith, believing that Jesus did not even need to say anything, or even know who she was, and He had the power over this disease. Jesus did not heal every disease when He was on the earth, but had the power to do so, and this woman believed.

Salvation & Restoration To her shock, Jesus stopped the procession and turned toward her, asking a seemingly ignorant statement, "who touched me?" Peter obliged with the obvious answer, "the crowds are pressing against you". But Jesus knew that this was no ordinary touch, but a touch of faith, a touch that healed. Not only that, but Jesus knew that this woman not only needed physical healing, she needed to be healed of her social shame. She not only needed physical restoration, but also restoration into the culture which she had been excluded from for over a decade. Then this woman did something amazing, and quite out of character. Though she was trembling, she declared to Jesus, as she fell down at His feet, before the whole crowd, that she touched Jesus for healing. This showed that her faith was greater than her fear, and believing Jesus allowed her to overcome even her greatest of fears.

Peace Not only did Jesus heal her physically and socially, but He healed her spiritually. Jesus declared, "Daughter, your faith has made you well, go in peace.", which matched almost identically the wording used for the forgiven prostitute in Luke 7:50. In other words, this woman's faith was effective for salvation. Faith alone qualifies us for salvation. Not faith and works, but faith alone. This woman trusted her life to Jesus, and He allowed her to move from there in peace: peace in her body, peace in her culture, and peace with God. Faith is what pleases God (Heb. 11:6), and it is by faith that we are


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saved (Eph. 2:8-9). The disciples needed to see that faith not only overcomes fear, but faith is what ultimately saves.

3. Times for silence over speaking Luke 8:56 And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened. Finally, Jesus gave an odd charge to the gathering: don't tell anyone. When He healed the demoniac, the call was to tell everyone. Why the switch here? 1. The demoniac was in Gentile territory and they hadn't been exposed to the message or miracles of Jesus, so they needed a messenger 2. Jesus was not sought after to be arrested on the other side of the lake, and He did not want to add fuel to a growing fire of angst against Him. 3. He wanted to the focus to stay on the main thing. It was not His miracles that were the point, it was what the miracles pointed to. Doing miracles proved His messianic credentials, but they easily could have distracted from the main mission. Before giving the disciples this power and authority, they needed to know that the power they would receive was not about them, but about making sure Jesus was known. Concluding thoughts:

Are people more important than your programs? What give time to what we value. In evaluating your time, what would be seen as most important to you? Who are people you give the most time to? Who are people you need to give more time to?

In evaluating your priorities in life in terms of loving people, how can you be more intentional with where and how you do ministry?

Faith overcomes fear. Why does it seem like God lets us linger sometimes? What does it tell us about the preciousness of our faith that God does not always give us what we ask for? What are the hardest areas in your life to trust God?

What promises of God do we cling to when we are afraid? When God seems distant? When it seems that God does not care?

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