DON’T GET DISTRACTED!

 Matthew 9:18-26 NET

As he was saying these things, a leader came, bowed low before him, and said, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live." [19] Jesus and his disciples got up and followed him. [20] But a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. [21] For she kept saying to herself, "If only I touch his cloak, I will be healed." [22] But when Jesus turned and saw her he said, "Have courage, daughter! Your faith has made you well." And the woman was healed from that hour. [23] When Jesus entered the leader's house and saw the flute players and the disorderly crowd, [24] he said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but asleep!" And they began making fun of him. [25] But when the crowd had been forced outside, he went in and gently took her by the hand, and the girl got up. [26] And the news of this spread throughout that region.

 

There are so many bible verses that talk about Jesus stopping to do something while on the way somewhere else or stopping what he was doing to do something else, which could be called distraction but not with Jesus’ as all His activities were divinely orchestrated and needed but, in the world, we live in now, that will be a distraction of the highest order for us.

From Jesus’s life, we can multitask if they set their mind and heart to it.

Jesus was constantly interrupted but was never distracted. He knew his time on earth was short, and knowing what his assignment was, he got on with it without seeing anything that came his way as a distraction but as part of his assignment. Distractions can interrupt every part of our lives, including our spiritual life if we allow it. As Christians, we have a purpose: to be in and live out a personal relationship with God. However, many things can distract us from doing that.

Distraction is anything that diverts our attention, affection, or obedience away from God’s purpose and calling for our lives. Spiritually, distraction can be: fear, worry, offence, noise, busyness, people’s opinions, temptation, pain, unnecessary activity.

The first interruption of Jesus is seen in Matthew 8:5-13 where Jesus had just entered Capernaum and was interrupted by a centurion, who wanted Jesus to come and heal his servant, however, the man said Jesus didn’t need to come to his home. He believed that Jesus could just speak it to be done and it will be. He was right and Jesus marvelled at his faith.

What would have been a huge distraction for Jesus became another demonstration of faith and the manifestation of the power of God. Jesus with his disciples on their way in verses 18-19 to heal the Rabbi’s daughter were interrupted by the haemorrhaging woman. The pull of faith on Jesus’s garment was strong enough to get his attention, he turned, delivered the words of wholeness, and continued his way to heal the little girl.

Jesus is never distracted!

Imagine if Jesus had allowed life to distract him from his assignments and calling. I wonder where we would be if Jesus had stopped and stood still with an issue or problem instead of continuing with his journey to the one who needed him. That would not only have stopped his goal and purpose of saving the lost, healing the sick and delivering the afflicted, but we would have remained condemned for eternity.

Jesus needed rest like us all and was asleep in the boat when the disciples woke him up because they were afraid. There was a great storm, and the waves were crashing against the boat. We can only imagine that given the atmosphere; Jesus must have been very tired to sleep through a storm of that magnitude. He scolded them for having weak faith and then, he calmed the storm. Jesus didn’t allow the storm or the disciples’ lack of faith to distract him.

Once their journey across the Sea of Galilee was over, Jesus gets interrupted again by two demon-possessed men in verses 28-32. They cried out and begged Jesus to not torment them and begged to be cast into the pigs.

The classic for me is Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52, the blind man who couldn’t distract Jesus with the loudness of his cry and call. Even with the shouts of many people warning him to be quiet, he cried out more, “Son of David, have mercy on me! Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called but was still not distracted from his original journey.

Many people in today’s world would’ve kept walking and acted like they couldn’t hear. But Jesus didn’t do that. He stopped and gave him attention. As he does with us all daily. Jesus is never distracted to hear, heal, help, and answer us when we call. We too should not allow life to distract us from following Jesus.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

·         What distractions in my life are pulling my attention away from God’s purpose for me?

·         How can I remain focused on Jesus when interruptions or challenges arise?

·         In what ways is God calling me to trust Him and keep moving forward without losing focus?

PRAYER: I will follow you Lord wherever you may lead and go, I will not be deterred by life’s circumstances form going where you go in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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