While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.  Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
Matthew 9:18-22

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How often have you gone past someone who needed help because you were in a hurry or did not want the hassle, only to feel bad about it later? I have more times than I can count. I do better when I remember how good it feels to assist others. 

Years ago, my husband and I were in downtown Chicago on our way to a concert. A man was standing by his car on the side of the road with the hood up. He stared helplessly as car after car inched by in the heavy traffic. When we got close, my husband shouted through my open passenger window to ask the man if he needed a jump start. The man nodded, and my husband told him he would go further and turn around so he could position the cars facing each other. I said nothing but felt antsy as the minutes ticked by. I was worried about being late for the concert (this happened before cell phones could predict arrival times). As it turned out, we were not late, and we enjoyed knowing we made someone’s day. I cannot remember the name of the band we saw that night, but the glowing feeling that came from doing a good deed stuck.  

Christians often say Jesus loves people. Yet, we rarely pay attention to how He showed love in everyday life. Jesus was continually interrupted by people needing help. Healing was part of His identity. When John the Baptist wanted to know if Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus said, “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor” (Luke 7:19-22). Serving was central to His mission, so Jesus was never too busy to help.

In today’s passage, Jesus was interrupted twice! While He was teaching, a synagogue leader came and asked Jesus to raise his daughter from the dead. On His way, Jesus was interrupted by a woman who touched His cloak. Jesus did not rebuke her for delaying Him. He spoke to her lovingly, calling her daughter, before healing her. Then Jesus continued to the synagogue leader’s house and brought his daughter back to life.

These days, we whip out our cell phones whenever we have a spare moment. We rarely observe the people around us, especially strangers. Life is made up of many small moments. If we want to love like Jesus, we must be present, aware, and interruptible. We will remember the rewards of serving someone long after our agendas are forgotten.

Next Steps

In addition to being open to helping spontaneously, we can intentionally position ourselves to serve. Our website, Willow Creek Community Church, has a list of many serving opportunities.