I’ve spent today thinking hard about today’s reading, Mark 5:21-43, which has not one but two healings. First, we have the woman with the hemorrhages for 12 years but she still reaches out to be healed. Then, we have the healing of the Jairus’ daughter who died. She was dead by the time Jesus’ arrived at her side. And here we have, “why trouble the teacher any longer?” But here we have the words of Jesus, “Have faith.”
And what is hitting me is that too often I dwell too much on the words of criticism, “why trouble the teacher”, rather than on the promise of “have faith”.
Too often, so very often we get discouraged. Whatever we are enduring be it 12 years, or 12 days or even 12 minutes seem an eternity or what we see is clearly hopeless and we stop bothering the Teacher. We just stop praying to Him, or listening to Him or reading His words in Scripture. I know I can get wrapped up in bothering Jesus, or get tired of saying the same prayers, asking for the same thing again and again or just get discouraged.
But we need to bother the Teacher – He is hoping we will, He is waiting for us to bother Him, waken Him from the nap on the pillow (Mark 4:38).
I am not smart enough to explain or even understand the whole theology of waiting on God or able to understand why the wait even exists, but I do know that Jesus is waiting to hear from me, from you. He loves being bothered.
And while I wait for answered prayers or resolved situations, I am keeping track of the prayers that are answered, the small lights of God I see in my children or the world and take real comfort from what I read in the Bible such as Psalm 61 and 2 Peter 3:9 where we are told:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Who knows, my prayerful, patient and hopeful waiting might just be the time God needs to bring someone (maybe even me) to come to repentance.
So, I’ll keep bothering Him and keep striving to wait well.
