Encountering Jesus

as our perspective becomes more like Jesus’ … the things causing anxiety seem to SHIFT into the background

Read Matthew 6:25-34

When my wife and I first got married, we had friends and family over for meals and fellowship. It didn’t matter who was coming, but as arrival time approached, I would start to get anxious. This anxiety led to questions about how much food we had and whether it would be enough. My wife, bless her heart, would always reassure me we had enough, and we always did. The anxiety I felt in those moments is what I imagine Martha feeling as Jesus arrives.

Martha welcomes Jesus into their home and goes about getting things ready for the meal. Maybe the group was larger than she imagined. The phrase “distracted with much serving” describes what Martha was doing as well as her focus. Her anxiety seems almost palpable as she asks Jesus to intervene with Mary, sitting at his feet. In this moment, Mary and Martha are at complete ends of the anxiety spectrum. It’s possible Martha could hear what Jesus was saying, but, as we’ve all experienced, listening to something in a calm state is better for understanding than listening while we’re “distracted with much serving.”

In Matthew 6:25-34, the words of Jesus speak directly to our anxieties. Our perspective on things happening in life are key. While these words might appear foolish, understanding them from the perspective of Jesus is important. Just as Jesus softly rebukes Martha for her bustling around, Jesus is addressing our focus here. He urges our perspective to be on the Kingdom of God, not the temporary trappings of life, or even what’s to happen tomorrow. While there are things in life needing to be done today – such as serving a guest, paying a bill, or going to work – our focus needs to be the Kingdom of Jesus. All else is secondary. Many times as our perspective becomes more like Jesus’ and we move our focus to what’s truly important, his Kingdom, the things causing anxiety seem to shift into the background.

EVERYTHING flows from sitting at his feet and hearing his voice

The word ‘priority’ came into the English language around 1400. It meant ‘first’ or ‘primary.’ For 500 years, the word was only used in a singular fashion. It wasn’t until the 1900’s that people started to speak of ‘priorities.’ Given the definition of the word ‘priority,’ it’s hard to reconcile using it in a plural tense. While we’d love to believe we’re capable of extreme multi-tasking, in reality, we can only focus on one thing at a time. Only one thing can be first. Only one thing can be most important. Only one thing can be our priority. Jesus clearly identifies this reality when he says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

When Martha welcomes Jesus into her house, she begins serving Jesus. However, her sister Mary begins sitting with Jesus. Mary listens to his teaching, enjoys his presence, and embraces his message. In Luke 10:42, Jesus commends Mary’s priority by saying, “one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Given the reality that we can only have one priority, Jesus a rms Mary’s choice to sit at his feet. Certainly, Mary has other options and potential distractions, but she knows what her main priority is – being with Jesus and learning from him.

These words of Jesus, “one thing is necessary,” give great clarity to the life of faith. The thing Jesus asks of us before he asks anything else, is that we sit at his feet. We must learn to abide in him – as a branch abides in the vine. To be clear, Jesus is not saying that sitting at his feet is the only thing he asks of us. That would diminish the other commands we read in the Scriptures. What Jesus says is that everything flows from sitting at his feet and hearing his voice. If we get our priorities wrong, we’ll view following Jesus as living for him, instead of with him. If we get our priorities wrong, we’ll end up killing our joy, dampening our life, and extinguishing our hope.

Anticipation is expecting God to ACT in advance and looking forward to what God will DO in our lives

Athletes anticipate the gold. Students anticipate report cards. Families anticipate vacations. All waiting for the reward after putting in the hard work. We all love to anticipate the holidays and times with family and friends. We anticipate and prepare for Jesus birth through Advent and for his death and resurrection though Lent. Anticipating is an action verb of expecting and realizing in advance. The historical Latin of the verb means ‘to take care of ahead of time’ and the 1809 meaning is the ‘action of looking forward to.’ Martha is the definition of “anticipation.”

Martha was looking forward to Jesus’ arrival and her home was ready, every detail taken care of ahead of time. I don’t think Martha was caught by surprise when Jesus walked into her town because news of the Teacher has been buzzing across the countryside, throughout the villages and discussed around many supper tables. He was on his way to Jerusalem and it’s possible Martha perused the grocery booths daily, in hopes of spotting Jesus ministering in the crowds as he came through the gates (Luke 9:51-53). Since Mary, Martha, and Lazurus spent time with Jesus on previous visits, they were familiar with his habits and needs (John 11). So, Martha was filled with joyful anticipation and actively seeking another arrival of Jesus. She was expectant, ready to have supper with the Savior and welcome him into her space.

We, like Martha, can be filled with joyful anticipation Jesus, too. We can anticipate uplifting worship to our Father God with fellow believers on Sunday. We can anticipate meeting Jesus when we open our Bible and read his love letters to us. We can anticipate the Holy Spirit guiding and directing us as we spend time in prayer. Anticipation is expecting God to act in advance and looking forward to what God will do in our lives. Anticipation is preparing to meet him, in a ready place, with an expectant heart, an open mind and listening ears.

our former lives were ENSLAVED, but now we’re FREE

Read Galatians 4:1-7

Sometimes relationships with friends and family get overturned or upset for one reason or another. We’re emotional creatures and are prone to react poorly when we feel wronged or insulted. When restoration finally comes, all the joyful memories between us return and we realize what we’ve missed. Our emotional pendulum swings back and we hope to never experience that again.

Both participants in this story are in a strained relationship with those around them. Jairus was a leader in the Synagogue and since Jesus wasn’t held in high regard by the leadership of the Jewish faith, it’s likely Jairus shared that lack of respect for Jesus. Nevertheless, when his only 12-year old daughter becomes sick to the point of dying, his feelings of disrespect, which were once driven by the influence of others, are dropped. Disrespect vanishes when that person could possibly lead to the cure. So Jairus makes his way to Jesus to seek healing for his daughter. Imagine his desperation.

The unnamed woman, with information about her life limited to the duration and expense of her illness, had relational issues in her culture of a di erent sort. The people surrounding her believed she was unclean because of her bleeding. This forced her to shun and be shunned by her culture for almost 12 years. Imagine her loneliness.

Not only does touching Jesus’ garment and holding the little girl hand o er a healing encounter for each individual, Jesus begins to restore their fractured relationships, too. The woman is made whole and clean in the eyes of her culture and Jairus’ relationship with his daughter is restored through her renewed life. As sons and daughters of God, his heirs, our broken relationship with the triune God has been redeemed. Our former lives were enslaved, but now we’re free. Imagine our freedom.

his gentle touch brings us into the LIGHT for our healing and for his glory

Read Psalm 139:1-5

Two people, surprised in their own situation and surprised by the focused attention Jesus gave that day. One was a leader in the synagogue, most likely seeing Jesus and his followers as rabble, not worthy of his time. The other was a woman who su ered from a bleeding disorder for 12 years, an outcast of her culture, and had spent all her money on doctors. Each came to Jesus while the crowds pressed in on him – hoping to be seen by the One and Only.

Jairus fell at Jesus’ feet, along with many others, begging for Jesus to heal his only daughter. Jesus knew this man and his impression of Jesus. And Jesus, even with all these people jostling around him, took notice of the one man kneeling among the many. Despite this, he began to follow him back to his home. Despite all Jairus’ thoughts and feelings about Jesus, Jairus walked with Jesus. Together they were on their way home – to find the healing one family desperately needed. In that moment, Jairus was known and loved.

The woman reached out to touch the fringe of Jesus’ garment. Despite the unknown result, the woman trusts in Jesus’ su ciency to heal her. Despite the bumping of the crowd, Jesus knew someone touched him with such faith they were healed. Jesus says, ‘who touched me.’ Looking right at the woman, Jesus recognized her – her condition, her faith, and her desperation. In that moment, this woman was known and loved.

These two individuals were loved, and we are loved, too. We’re loved personally and wholly. God loved us enough to send Jesus. And, just as Jesus knew these two in the middle of a large crowd pushing in on him, he knows us. In Psalms 139:1-5, we find a clear view into the deep love God has for us, demonstrated by the depth of his knowing us. Just like Jairus and the woman, we too, are picked out from a crowd. We too, are fully known and fully loved.

Read Psalm 121

Every great adventure movie with a pursuit scene sells at the box office – whether it’s real life drama or nonfiction. Television recently released a reality show on the theme of being pursued called “Hunted.” It’s a grown up version of hide and seek. Children love to be pursued in a chase and giggle with delight. The big di erence is whether the bold pursuit leads to life or leads to death.

The unnamed woman, in this passage is in a life and death crisis. She boldly pursues Christ through the pressing crowd, in her weakened medical state, in her socially ostracized position, and in her culturally restricted condition. Her issue of blood makes her unclean, unacceptable, and rejected. Yet, the posture of her heart is bold. She is most likely on her knees humbly crawling in the dust of the ground trying to touch the hem of Jesus’ robe. This might be her last chance to be healed by reaching out to Jesus. She could even be killed for being in the crowd and trying to get help. She determines to take the risk and confidently counts the cost.

The woman’s desperate life makes her bold. Her faith in Jesus makes her bold. Absolutely nothing could stop her at this point in her life getting to Jesus. And Jesus meets her in her suffering. Now, look at your life. You may carry a similar feeling of desperation about an issue. Let it make you bold in pursuing the Master of Life, the compassionate Creator, and sensitive Sustainer above all other options. Choose a bold, risky step toward Jesus and what he has for you. Jesus is ready to meet you with blessing.

coming to Christ can be COSTLY, but life eternal is PRICELESS

Read Psalm 68:32

Humility is not popular. When I think of humility, it’s being the last one chosen for a team, proven wrong or being embarrassed. But, who wants to be humble, poor, degraded, appear inadequate or feel unworthy in our a uent, power-seeking culture? Life these days often means living for yourself and our culture confronts us with many roadblocks to being humble.

Jarius, in the gospel of Luke, overcame many roadblocks in his quest to find Jesus. Jarius was a rich synagogue ruler. He wasn’t even supposed to like Jesus. But, he swallowed his pride and risked his career, his position, his friends, everything, and hurried to Jesus for help. He went a long distance losing precious time in desperation to spare his child’s life. He came, not arrogantly or flippantly, but with sincere hope and faith in the Teacher. His posture as a ruler might have made him look proud but inside was a heart humbly surrendered.

The Bible defines humility di erently than our contemporary culture. It’s a correct estimation of who you are – in light of who God is. Coming to God humbly means recognizing you owe all your natural gifts, personality, attributes, etc., to him. You’re the object of undeserved redeeming love. Because, God overcame many roadblocks on your behalf, you can regard yourself as not being your own. Coming to Christ can be costly, but life eternal is priceless. Jesus’ desire is for a relationship with you. Yet, like Jarius, there may be roadblocks that have kept you from coming to him with your needs. You can receive mercy and find grace to help you in your time of need, he promises (Hebrews 4:16).

remember he will answer our prayers and does listen to us amidst the storm