Inconveniencing God?
An untouchable man barged into Jesus’ presence. His skin the
color of snow stained with dust. The
nerve of that man…
A uniformed man marched into Jesus’ presence, talking about
how when he tells someone to do something, it gets done. Really? What nerve…
Crazy people came screaming at Jesus, demanding answers. What? Who do you think you’re talking to?
I read Matthew chapter eight and I am a little uncomfortable
seeing how people are approaching Jesus. They all want something from Him. They
all need something from Him. They do not appear to see anything wrong with
getting in Jesus’ way, inconveniencing Him, and slowing Him down from getting
to wherever He might be trying to go. I mean, come on! Can’t you give Him a
break? Haven’t you been told that it’s rude to go up to strangers and ask for
things from them?
I don’t suppose I think in these terms all that often.
Jesus, inconvenienced? Well, His whole life on earth was a giant inconvenience
for Him, was it not? I have always seen people coming to Him and begging for
Him to do something as just normal. It’s just what happens when Jesus is
around. People crowd around Him and want His touch, His smile, His attention.
They want His power.
Then I started thinking: what
if people were constantly wanting things from me so much that I couldn’t even
go to a friends house without sick people coming up to me? What if everywhere I
went people were crowding around me? How would I feel?
On my worst day I might feel frustrated. Overwhelmed.
Annoyed.
On my best day I might feel delightfully drained.
On either of those days, I don’t know how long I would last
before attempting to bang my brains into unconsciousness on the nearest wooden
door. That way I could escape the constant neediness of everyone around me. So
when I look at this chapter (and so many other chapters in Jesus’ life) and see
how much people are asking of Jesus, I feel for Him. At first, I get a little
annoyed at the people. Then I listen to Jesus’ reaction to these folks and I change
my tune a little bit.
Jesus granted these people’s requests. He heals them of
leprosy. He casts out the demons. He brings their friends back from the brink
of death. Jesus was not turned off by the people’s requests. In fact, at one
point, he praises the Army officer for his faith.
When people came in faith, Jesus extended grace.
These folks were in need. They knew that no one else could
heal them and they dared to hope that Jesus would be willing to listen to their
requests. Desperation drove them to boldly step out in front of Jesus and ask
for Him to intervene in their darkest pain.
Their desperation gave them the courage to boldly ask the Son of God to
change their path. To work a miracle. To give them hope.
Jesus said yes.
Do you need hope? A miracle? A different path?
Jesus says yes.
We all have our own pains and struggles that we are dealing
with. They might be secret or they might be painfully public. While I cannot
claim to know how God will answer you when you request something from Him, I do
know that He wants us to ask Him. God wants us to pester Him and inconvenience
Him. He wants us to boldly step in front of Him and ask for help, for
transformation.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the
door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks
finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if
he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in
heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
-
Matthew 7:7-11
May we all be bold enough to inconvenience our God with our requests for both healing and
direction. May we all have the faith of those beggars that stepped in Jesus’ way.
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