Matthew 9:19,20
”Jesus got up from the table and began to accompany him, along with His disciples.
And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him, and touched the border of His cloak.”
Before verse 19 there had a synagogue official approach Jesus about his sick daughter. He asked him to come and heal her. Much to his delight Jesus came. He may have not been a believer in Jesus, but desperate times can change a person. It’s like “there are no atheists in fox holes.” Hope filled his heart. His daughter might live. Jesus was coming.
Then comes the disappointment of verse 20, an interruption. I would be angry. I may have said something. “Jesus, she is very sick and time is of the essence.” I would be frustrated with Jesus for stopping. “He’s God, He’s got to know how serious this is”. I would be angry with the woman for butting in and distracting Jesus.
This situations is lived out many times a day, all throughout the world. People on their way, focused on their mission when they bump into someone else with their own agenda and hurried pace. The situation is ripe for anger, frustration and hurt.
What are we to do? We are to trust God. One of the characters in this story is God. Yet, He stops. When anger and frustration spike we are to trust Him. God is not in a hurry.
The story of Lazarus is a perfect example. Word comes to Jesus that he’s sick. He intentionally waits for him to die, then He goes to him. This must have driven Mary and Martha crazy. This was His will for it to come to this point. We try to hurry things along to avoid this. That’s why we need to be patient. Acts 5:39 says, “But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.” Isaiah 55:9 says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” He wants us to trust Him for working in the circumstance as well as the timing. We are to deny ourselves and yield to His timing. The man with the sick daughter should have rested that Jesus was in control.
This ill woman didn’t want to draw any attention to herself. She may have been aware of the man’s request. She had good faith. She thought, “If I only touch Him I will be healed.” She may have further thought, “He need not stop, everyone will continue, the girl would be healed.” She wanted to sneak in a healing.
It’s not wrong to have one’s own plans. It’s not wrong to be a little disappointed. It’s the anger and actions that it may prompt is where sin enters. That’s where things go wrong. I am so guilty of this. It’s most evident in the car. I rush into a lane and slightly cut off a driver. That’s rude. I’m not factoring God and His timing.
When I leave work there are two lanes, the slow one goes left and the right is far faster, but it involves a u turn. I always go right. It’s hard for me to understand the one’s who go left. I’m sure some know they could go faster, but they takes the more direct route. Part of me would like to have their patience. I celebrate going right, but desire their patience.
Lord, thank You that Your ways are higher than mine. Help me to be patient. Help me to rest in You. Help me to trust.