Luke 8:40-55
Have you ever had your day interrupted? Have you ever been interrupted when you were going somewhere or doing something, and it was important, and you felt like time was of the essence?
Maybe it was a doctor or dentist appointment and you end up in a traffic jam, or your car has a flat tire on your way to a job interview, or it’s snowing like crazy in Beaver Dams. It wasn’t like this in Watkins Glen; what’s going on? I’m going to be late for such and such.
Well, we don’t like interruptions. But they happen. Sometimes it’s just a small interruption that feels like a big one. Like when you’re all relaxed and finally able to sit down and enjoy a movie on TV, and the phone rings or there’s a knock on the door. Not a big interruption, but it can seem like it at the moment.
If you’re a pastor, anything can be a big interruption. We may get those phone calls at three in the morning asking for prayer or asking us to come to the emergency room right away. It comes with the territory. I heard someone say just recently that “you are always on duty in the anointing.” That’s kind of Christianese, but you get the idea. Same as if you are a doctor, firefighter, or EMT. You’re always wearing that hat and you can be called to duty at any moment.
I remember one time I attended a seminar on weddings and funerals that the pastors in the Living Waters Association put together. It was great because I hadn’t participated in any weddings or funerals yet. And the one thing, perhaps the biggest thing I got out of that was when George Norton from the Montour Falls Baptist Church said that a call for a funeral is almost always an interruption.
So I think you kind of get the idea of the sermon topic today.
If you have your Bibles, you can turn with me to Luke, Chapter 8, and we’re going to read a long set of verses––40 through 54. I thought of condensing it, but in order to get the whole picture, we really need to read all of those verses.
As you’re turning there, let me read to you something I found from Paul Tripp in his book, Whiter than Snow.
He said:
You and I don’t live in a series of big, dramatic moments. We don’t careen from big decision to big decision. We all live in an endless series of little moments. The character of a life isn’t set in ten big moments. The character of a life is set in ten thousand little moments of everyday life. It’s the themes of struggles that emerge from those little moments that reveal what’s really going on in our hearts. (Whiter Than Snow, 21)
Christina Fox, in an article in Desiring God, said:
It’s hard to see all the little frustrating events and interruptions in our day as divinely placed opportunities to grow in grace, but they are. And seeing them as such helps us take our eyes off ourselves and put them on Christ, who cares more about our transformation than about our daily comfort. Rather than giving us a life of ease, he interrupts our lives with grace and shows us what we need most of all: himself.
Scripture: So let’s see what our scripture has to say this morning. Luke 8, starting with verse 40 and going to the end of the chapter, says this:
40 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.
As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,[c] but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”
46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”
47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”
50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”
51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”
53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
I read on Facebook recently that Jesus likes to show up almost late. That was supposed to be a word of encouragement for those who are waiting on the Lord. But, as you can see with Jairus and with Lazarus, he was late. Yet he was right on time.
That’s another sermon topic, I think, but you see here, maybe Jesus could have made it in time for Jairus’ daughter to have lived. But the point was for Jesus to get there late. Why? Well, I believe God the Father had something else in mind. I think he wanted Jairus’ daughter to die so that the people could see Jesus raise someone from the dead. That there wasn’t anything Jesus or God couldn’t do to show the people that Jesus truly was and is the Son of God and to give a prophetic foretaste of what was to come with Jesus himself.
And so, how did God interrupt Jesus? By giving Jesus a ministry moment on the way.
See, we might be on the way somewhere, like Jesus. Maybe we’re in a hurry. Maybe it’s a life journey. We plan on going to a destination in life––a career, a marriage, or whatever, and while we’re on our way, God decides to take us on a detour––I did a sermon on that once a few years ago––life’s detours and scenic routes. This one is kind of similar. God will interrupt us, and we need to see the divine interruption while we’re on our way to our destination.
So, if we go to the beginning of the chapter, Luke points out that Jesus was going from town to town. He was teaching, preaching, and healing. So Jesus was doing the will of the Father, being led by the Spirit. I think at this point in his ministry, Jesus was just constantly listening to the Spirit to go here, go there, teach this, teach that, and leaving himself open for opportunities as they arose.
In other words, Jesus was open to interruptions. Interruptions were part of Jesus’ life. It’s what he resigned himself to. It was part of the purpose, part of the plan. He went from town to town and opened himself up to the opportunities that arose. He made room for whatever was supposed to happen. It wasn’t like he had an itinerary and a tour manager that had him booked with an arrival time, check into the hotel, go to soundcheck, interview with so and so at such and such, dinner with the concert promoter at such and such, dress, get to the gig at seven and out by 11:30 and onto the tour bus by 11:35.
Jesus was being led by the Spirit moment by moment. So the first thing that happens is a man named Jairus approaches Jesus with this request, “pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.”
And what was Jesus to do? Of course, he would help. Notice the Bible says that Jairus was a synagogue leader. So he was not a typical Pharisee or Sadducee who was critical of Jesus. He was more like Nicodemus, who accepted Jesus and recognized him as at least a man of God, a prophet, and a miracle worker. But Jairus, being a synagogue leader, was a well-known, well-respected man. So it was no surprise that there would be a large crowd because not only was Jesus being followed, but they knew about Jairus’ daughter and they probably personally cared for her.
Verse 42 says, “As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.” So you can sense the urgency of Jairus trying to get to his daughter as quickly as possible, but the crowds are so thick and a lot of people are in desperate need of Jesus’ touch that Jesus can’t stop and help everyone. He must get to Jairus’ house, but the crowds are slowing them down.
Have you ever walked in a big crowd, and you were trying to get somewhere and it only slowed you down? Even if the whole crowd was going in the same direction? There’s this anticipation, “I’ve got to get there, I’ve got to get there.” As I was writing my sermon, I was listening to a Paul McCartney playlist on Spotify. I remember going to see him in concert last June. And I had waited 30 years to see him live. I know a lot of other people probably waited twice that long.
But I finally got the chance and we picked Caleb up in Lima. We’re following the GPS, and I should have known better, as the Beatles song says, because it not only took me not only the long way but there happened to be a parade somewhere in some small town. We had to sit and wait and wait and ask a guy directing traffic out how to get to Syracuse from there because of course, the GPS doesn’t know that you have a detour, so it wants to reroute you where it wants you to go.
We finally got to Syracuse with time to spare. We got to the dome, and wouldn’t you know, our parking pass has us not at the dome but a good couple miles or so. And you know how a city is. It takes five minutes to go a mile because of the traffic and the lights. We finally get to our parking area, which is packed. Then we find a shuttle bus, which of course, we have to wait to get on and wait for others to get on and wait for it to take off.
By the time we get to the stadium, we’re 20 minutes late. Thankfully, the concert hadn’t started yet. We get inside, we stop at the merchandise table, we stop at the restrooms, and the concert starts. Now, we have to find seats in this huge place with 30,000 people. Probably 10-15 minutes into the concert, we finally found our seats.
Leaving the place, by the way, was a whole other story, one that fits in a little bit more with crowds, but at least we weren’t going to be late for anything, so there was no sense of urgency.
But you get the idea. That anticipation, that urgency, “I’ve got to get there. Time is running out.” Now imagine being in a situation where you’re pushing through crowds when someone is dying. That was just a concert. That was a fun event.
And so Jesus is pushing through the crowds on his way to heal Jairus’ daughter, and God, in typical fashion, interrupts things. I believe this was a God moment. I don’t believe it was just an interruption, but a divine interruption.
As the crowds are pressing in on Jesus, almost crushing him, he senses something. Something that is unexpected. Something that catches his attention. “Wait a minute! What was that?” He sensed power going out from him, and it stops him in his tracks.
“Who touched me?” Jesus asked.
Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” In other words, “what are you talking about? Everyone is touching you, bumping into you, pressing into you, knocking you around. What do you mean?”
And then Jesus explains that power has gone out of him.
I don’t know about you, but I might have kept that to myself and just went along my way. It’s hard to say because I’ve never had power jump out from me unexpectedly, but I may have recognized it, kept it hidden in my mind, and moved on.
But Jesus didn’t. He stopped. He asked who it was. He wanted to know. Some say that Jesus really knew but wanted the crowds to know or wanted to bless the woman. But I think in Jesus’ limits as a human, he really didn’t know.
47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
Notice, that’s it. That’s all Jesus said. That’s all he needed to say. He didn’t go on asking more about her. He didn’t ask what the issue was. He certainly didn’t condemn her for her boldness. Think about how bold she was. She shouldn’t have even been there, let alone touch him, because she was unclean according to Jewish law, and by touching him, she made Jesus unclean. Yet, Jesus called her ‘Daughter,’ and blessed her.
This is from a blog called End of the Matter:
Can you imagine the implications of this? She is not meant to touch anyone, not her husband (if she had one), nor children(if any) or family, or friends nor could she do any house work, or even prepare her family food. She had to be isolated because of her impurity. It was as good as dead.
But one day she hears that Jesus is coming to town, and she finds this the perfect opportunity for her healing. She had tried every other option available and spent all she had but to no avail. This was her last hope.
According to Matthew 9:21, she says “…If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” What was it about the garment of the Lord that she had such faith, that if Jesus was really the Messiah that she would receive healing?
Remember that she could not reveal herself to anyone around her otherwise this would be seen as a serious crime. Anything and anyone she touches would become unclean. She is taking a big risk in the belief that there is healing at the hem of the garment of Jesus. What did she know that gave her such assurance that if this is really the Messiah, that she would receive healing by touching His garment?
“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings” (Malachi 4:2 KJV. The same word in Hebrew means both “wings” and “corners of a garment.” Maybe she knew that.).
Sometimes our interruptions can only take a minute and change someone’s life. A moment of grace––a word of kindness, a confirmation that they’re human, that they’re God’s child, that they’re not condemned. That even though they may be unclean in their eyes, they are no longer unclean, not in the eyes of God. Why? Because they touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and were made clean. Maybe someone can reach out to us, and like Jesus, we might not even know the extent of what we’ve done, but they do. And God does.
Notice as Jesus was speaking to the woman, some people from the house of Jairus arrived and told Jairus that his daughter was dead and there was no need to trouble Jesus any more (Mark 5:35). Jesus overheard the news and gave Jairus two commands and a promise: “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed” (Luke 8:50). Together, they continued toward the house of Jairus. When they got there, the mourners were wailing and weeping, but Jesus asked them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep” (Mark 5:39). The mourners turned into scoffers, laughing and making fun of Jesus (verse 40). Undeterred, Jesus went into the house, taking with Him Jairus and his wife, along with Peter, James, and John (Luke 8:51) (gotquestions.org).
So what seems like interruptions can be divine appointments. They can interrupt our plans. They can interrupt the plans of others. But remember, God doesn’t make mistakes. We may not understand, but God does. And that’s where faith comes in. Did Jesus ever criticize God? Did Jesus ever say, “Well, God. You done messed up this time. What’s wrong with you? I came to heal, and you let her die. Couldn’t you wait just a few minutes?”
No. Jesus did plead with God in the garden of Gethsemane. But Jesus surrendered to God’s will. But Jesus was never angry with God. He never complained. He always had faith.
With the issue of Jairus’ daughter, Jesus kept his faith. Maybe Jesus understood what his father was doing, maybe not, but Jesus didn’t bat an eye. You could understand why there were scoffers, though. No one expected Jesus to raise someone from the dead. We’ve read these stories a thousand times, but at the time, no one expected anyone to have the ability to raise someone from the dead. It seemed absolutely impossible. Only God could do that, and a lot of people probably thought even God couldn’t do that. In the chapter prior to this, Jesus raised a boy from the dead. And apparently word about that hadn’t gotten to this crowd yet.
A long quote from gotquestions.org before we close:
Jesus entered the room where Jairus’ daughter lay. He took the dead girl by the hand and said, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise” (Mark 5:41). Immediately, the girl’s spirit returned (Luke 8:55), and she got up and began walking around (Mark 5:41). Everyone was “completely astonished” (verse 41); literally, they were “removed from a standing position” or, as we might say, they were “floored” or “thrown for a loop.” Jesus then commanded Jairus to give his daughter something to eat but not to tell anyone about the miracle (Luke 8:55–56).
It is interesting to note that the daughter of Jairus was twelve years old—the same number of years as the woman in the crowd had suffered from her infirmity. Also, Jesus calls the woman He healed “Daughter” (Luke 8:48)—the only time He calls an individual that—amid the many references to Jairus’ daughter in the same narrative. The story of Jairus in the Bible is really a miracle within a miracle, with two “daughters” and two stretches of a dozen years.
When Jesus stopped on His way to Jairus’ house to speak to the woman in the crowd, He allowed time to pass. Jesus was not worried about Jairus’ daughter dying. He knew all along that He would heal her, even if that meant raising her from the dead. In a beautiful act of mercy, Jesus stops to care for the woman in the crowd who had reached out to Him in faith. Jairus undoubtedly felt the urgency of his situation, and he probably chafed at what he saw as a delay. His daughter was lying at death’s door, and Jesus was taking His time. Jairus learned that God’s timing and purpose are not like ours. Sometimes He requires patience from us, sometimes He waits longer than we think is rational, and sometimes He allows temporary loss in order to show us the eternal abundance of His blessing (see Ecclesiastes 3:11; 2 Corinthians 4:17).
Jairus was a leader in the synagogue, and the bleeding woman in the crowd was likely an outcast because of her ailment (see Leviticus 15:25–27). But Jesus graciously met their respective needs and responded to their faith with equal love, power, and willingness to heal. He “shows no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor, for they are all the work of his hands” (Job 34:19).
I used this one Bible story to base my sermon on today, but if we look at practically every great Bible character, they all had interruptions:
- Joseph saved Egypt from famine, but it started with his brothers tossing him into a well.
- Noah was minding his own business when out of nowhere, God called him to build an ark.
- Moses was tending sheep when out of nowhere, God called him to go to pharaoh.
- David was tending sheep when he was called from the pasture to be anointed king. He was also just going to give his brothers some food when he decided, “I think I’m going to kill Goliath before I go back home today.”
- Esther was living a simple life when out of nowhere, she was taken from her home to a beauty pageant and was made queen.
- Mary and Joseph were ordinary people planning a wedding when out of nowhere, an angel appeared.
- Shepherds were out tending sheep one night when out of nowhere, a multitude of angels appeared.
- Simon was fishing when Jesus appeared. Matthew was collecting taxes when Jesus appeared.
- Saul was on his way to Damascus when Jesus appeared.
Do you get the picture? Divine interruptions are part of everyone’s story in one way or another. In what ways can you see everyday interruptions as God’s divine appointments? Maybe that person needs some comfort or encouragement, or prayer. Maybe like Mary or Joseph or the shepherds, you’re minding your own business and an angel appears––in other words, that stranger asking for help on the side of the road is an angel that you’re entertaining unaware. Or maybe that interruption is God’s way of slowing you down, so you miss being in the accident up ahead.
I’ve wondered that a few times in my life. I missed hitting a deer by a matter of seconds. I missed being in a multi-car accident by a few minutes and thought, that’s why my passenger was late getting in the car this morning, or that’s why I couldn’t wake myself up and get out of bed in time this morning. It was a divine delay.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on First Baptist Church of Watkins Glen
Featured Image by wwwlll from Pixabay
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