Unity and Order - Pt. 3

 

And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” (Mark 5:25-34 ESV).

 

There might have been a time when I could legitimately complain about not having enough time to get everything done that I had on my “to do list.” That is not the case any longer. My life is busy, but it is not driven by others or circumstance. I know that for most of you, this is not an accurate assessment of how you feel. Many feel like they need more hours in a day, more days in a week, and they have too little time for sleep and relaxation. With all of that activity, they feel as if they can give only brief attention to any one thing.

 

This leads to the conclusion that we simply don’t have time to stop and really listen to another person. If we ask someone how they are doing, and they begin to give a real answer, the first thought is often “I don’t have time for this!” Paul calls us to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, but we can’t do that if we are too focused on our own to-do lists. Isn’t that true today? This is a destroyer of community, unity, and order.

 

Jesus was very busy too. In just over three years, he healed the sick, trained followers, taught a whole new understanding of the Old Testament, saved human­kind from sin, and set in motion events that will one day make all things new. And yet, he took time to listen to a sick woman tell the whole story of her illness. And that’s just one example of Jesus’ taking time to really be with people.

 

If you want to follow Jesus’ example, take time to listen. This is especially true in our current climate.