Bothering Jesus

"While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler (Jairus) of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. " (Luke 8: 49, 50 KJV)

W.C. Fields was quoted as saying, on several occasions, "Get away from me, kid, ya' bother me." It is good to know that the Lord Jesus Christ does not say such to his followers! He never is displeased when his people come to him with their problems and cares, however small or large they may be.

In the above case of Jairus, father of the dead girl, he was given the advice to "trouble (bother) not the Master." In other words, it was too late, it being supposed that there was no further need to bother the Lord with the matter.

A good employee or servant will not want to trouble his boss or master with minor problems, but will only want to bother him with major problems. The employee knows that the boss generally does not want to be bothered with every little problem. Thank God this is not true in the dyanamic relationship between the Lord Jesus Christ and his servants.

The Christian ought not to be reluctant to "tell it all" to Jesus. They should ever be ready to do as the apostle exhorted - "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (I Peter 5: 7 NIV)

"And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her. And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them." (Mark 1: 29- 31 KJV)

They quickly tell Jesus of Simon's mother in law's illness! What an example for us all to follow! They troubled him with the problem. They cast their care upon him; And, what a glorious and happy result!

People do not receive blessing from the Lord because of several reasons; they either simply fail to ask the Lord, or they ask without faith and without persistence or perseverence.

"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (James 4: 1-3 NIV)

"You cannot have what you want." "You do not have." Such tragic words! Applicable too to every rational person on earth. Sadly too, those who are denied blessing from Lord God often blame and accuse him for their not receiving what they want or desire to possess.

The blame, however, is not with Lord God, but with those who are complaining of his supposed non-benevolence or lack of care and of his seeming ill concern. Yet, the cause is either in 1) failure to ask the Lord, or 2) failure to ask in persistent faith, or 3) failure to ask for things that are good for us.

"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18: 1-8 NIV)

The lesson here is obvious. Once one knows what he is praying and seeking for is a good thing, like "justice," he does not cease bothering the Lord about it until he gets his request. In this lesson, Jesus commends those who bother him incessantly with their concerns. How thankful we should be that this is so with our Lord and Master!

"Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.' "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11: 5-11 NIV)

Again, the lesson is - keep bothering the Lord! Just like people will finally give a "pest" what he wants, just to get rid of the annoyance, so our Lord tells us to act like little persistent pests in our praying to Lord God. We ought not to feel like we are bothering the Lord when we come to him with all our worries and cares. We ought not to say - "he has bigger things to deal with." No, not when we see what Christ has taught us about his love and care for us.

"Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." (Luke 10: 38-42 KJV)

We are all like Martha so much of the time! We are "cumbered about" and anxious about so many things, often trivial. We are, like Martha, "careful and troubled about many things."

The answer is to follow the example of Mary who was sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to his words. There is no worry there at his feet! And, no anxious thoughts! Oh how we ought to go to him today and not hear or heed the words that say - "trouble not the Master"!