Jesus Was Available For Interruption
"Just then some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a stretcher. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but, finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus." Luke 5:18-19 NRSV
Series: Doing What Jesus Did
Devotional: 3 of 4
"One day, while Jesus was teaching" about the Kingdom of God, four persistent friends brought a paralyzed man to Him in the hope that Jesus might heal him. As He taught, the crowd that had come from every nearby village began to fill the house. Desperate to reach Jesus, these faithful friends found a rather unorthodox way to get to the Teacher. One by one, the rooftop tiles standing between them and Jesus were removed, allowing them to lower their friend down through the roof in front of Jesus, immediately making him the center of attention. (See Luke 5:17-20 NRSV)
In that moment, all eyes were on Jesus. With the Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting front and center, how would He respond to such a desperate act? What most saw as an unfortunate interruption, Jesus saw as an incredible act of faith.
The way that Jesus responds provides you and me with an important, but often overlooked spiritual lesson: Jesus was willing and available to be interrupted.
As Christ's ambassadors, what would it look like for us to intentionally organize our lives so that we are open and available to be interrupted by the Holy Spirit? For many, it would require a rather sizable shift in both scheduling and pace.
Today, many followers of Jesus genuinely want to be used by the Lord at a moment's notice but lack the margin to do so. Margin creates the necessary space on our calendars to say yes when the Holy Spirit interrupts our pre-planned agenda. On the other hand, busyness often becomes an idol, preventing us from partnering with the spontaneous work that Jesus is doing all around us.
Additionally, our willingness to be interrupted by the Lord will require an unhurried pace as we move throughout our day. Unhurried people carry with them the capacity to see and help hurting people. With this in mind, we would do well to consider how the cultural norms of hurry and hustle are shaping how we interact with the people around us. Is it possible that our lives are moving at such a frenetic pace that we can no longer see the desperate people right in front of us?
As you go, it is worth remembering that as Christ's followers, we are His "hands and feet" to those around us who are hurting and helpless. As His Church, we have a communal responsibility to both see and step into the lives of those who are currently unable to carry their own mat. With that in mind, who in your life is the Holy Spirit attempting to interrupt your plans so that you might carry them to Jesus?
OnThe3rdDay Devotionals
Devotionals that illustrate Biblical principles in a simple and short format that can be applied to your everyday life.
RECOMMENDED READING
This is an affiliate link. Any purchase you might make helps support the ministry of OnThe3rdDay at no cost to you.
