(unmarked journal entry – presumably matthew 20)

i wonder if Jesus ever felt inconvenienced by people, or if their needs were always legitimate enough to constitute His involvement. it never seemed like He was bothered (by their presence), does it? we never see Jesus telling someone to come back later. if He wanted solitude, He took time when no one was asking for Him.

Jesus is our example in everything we do, right? so, if we ever feel put out because someone has a need, we need to correct that attitude. something is wrong at the core of things in our heart…we do need to be considerate of the commitments we make, and try to be punctual. but if Jesus gladly helped the hemmorraging woman on the way to jairus’ house, we should be ready to do the same.

no one is ever an inconvenience.

if they seem that way, the problem is in our hearts, not in their asking. if we are to really take up our crosses, to drink the cup of Jesus, then we must do our best to make sure our heart mirrors His in every way possible at any and every time possible. He must become greater, we must become less

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the more we come to understand God’s heart for the nations, the more we come to see others the way that God does, these feelings of being inconvenienced should be pushed further and further away. there isn’t a verse in the Bible that says ‘serve others when it fits best in your schedule’ or ‘do unto others as it pleases you to do so, as you would have them do unto you you right when you need it.’

we know that’s not the right kind of attitude, and that thought process doesn’t honor God. so, the next time someone asks me (or you) to do something that upsets our schedule or makes us step out of our comfortable bubble, don’t even begin to act like they have done some harm to you, or that they are not worth your time.

in mirroring the example of Jesus, we see that everyone was equally important to Him, friend and ‘stranger’ alike. (asking whether anyone was a stranger to Jesus is a whole different question) and so we must do the same each and every day.