Thursday, February 25, 2010

Disturbing and Comforting

As I’ve studied the Scripture for this Sunday, Mark 3: 1 – 5 (Jesus heals a man with a withered hand), I have been reminded of a lesson a friend shared years ago of a common thread throughout the gospels:

Jesus comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable.

Think about that for a moment.

Jesus comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable.

For the most part the scribes and Pharisees were comfortable. They had carefully constructed a religious life that was perfectly defined and predictable. “Church” was comfortable. Then Jesus arrives, forgiving sins and healing on the Sabbath and associating with questionable people. God begins to act in less defined and unpredictable ways. That’s disturbing to the comfortable.

To the disturbed, those suffering physically or emotionally or relationally, Jesus brings comfort. In the rising of the Sun of Righteousness there is healing in His wings!

I know that too often I allow myself to grow comfortable. I want God to be predictable; the unknown makes me nervous. Thankfully, Jesus refuses to leave me there. He always stirs things up and calls me to join Him in ministries of comfort and healing.

Take a moment to consider:

  • · Are the places in my life, especially where I am following Jesus, where I’ve become too comfortable?
  • · What are ways that Jesus might be disturbing me so that I might join Him in bringing comfort to others?
  • · Where am I most disturbed and need to be comforted?

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