NASHVILLE (BP) – This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the Bible Studies For Life curriculum.
Bible Passage: Luke 8:40-50, 54-56
Discussion Questions:
- Who’s a friend who has an open invitation to crash on your couch anytime?
Food for Thought by Lloyd Stilley:*
Peter Greig was on his way to his home in England as he hurried through Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. He soon learned that the Iceland volcano had grounded all flights. Peter asked God how He wanted him to use this interruption, and his thoughts flew to his friend Joe, 150 miles away in Madison, Wis.
“Hey, I’m in Chicago,” he emailed. “Can I come crash on your couch?”
What Peter didn’t know was that Joe had just received terrible news and not half-an-hour before, Joe’s wife had asked, “Who do you wish you had on your couch right now?”
“I wish Pete was on my couch,” Joe answered, “but I know that’s crazy.” Within hours of Joe’s stated longing, Peter was sitting on his couch.1 Sometimes, God interrupts our lives with people in ways that feel like an answer to prayer.
In our passage Jesus was surrounded by people, but He took time for two desperate people. He responded with such spiritual sensitivity and power that it changed them. Let’s consider the first of those individuals.
In Luke 8, Jesus was going from town to town, preaching and teaching about the kingdom of God, reclaiming what demons had stolen, and bending the laws of nature to reverse the effects of sin’s curse. In verse 40, Jesus had just crossed the Sea of Galilee, docking in Capernaum. As soon as He stepped ashore, He was swept up into the current of human sin and need once more.
Pressing through the throngs of people was one of the most prominent men in the community. Jairus was a synagogue leader who was responsible for overseeing the teaching and worship in Sabbath gatherings. Since the synagogue was the spiritual and social center of life in a Jewish community, the townspeople would have recognized Jairus. What was he doing? Was he going to debate Jesus?
Jesus had been a firebrand for Judaism and was likely held in contempt by Jairus’ contemporaries. He was a threat to their standing among the people, constantly calling their teaching and character into question. What would the other rabbis think?
But Jesus had been impossible for Jairus to write off. Capernaum had been His home base for ministry, so many of Jesus’s miracles and teachings were done on its streets. That gave Jairus access to eyewitness accounts and stories about Jesus. What if it was all true? What if Jesus really was so much more than just another rabbi?
Jairus must have known that what he was about to do would be risky. But on this day, he wasn’t coming as a synagogue ruler; he was coming as a father, desperate for a miracle for his 12-year-old daughter who was dying. As he fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, Jairus came to the only One who could heal her. He begged Jesus to come to his house.
Now, shift your attention to Jesus. Jesus’ mission had a time limit, making His every action purposeful. He contended with opposition everywhere He went. He faced the headwinds of increasing hatred from religious leaders. He bore the stress of being popular. The crowd always wanted something from Him. He felt weary from the pace of ministry. Yet He took time to engage with a hurting father.
When we consider how intentional Jesus was in His desire to please His Father in all things, what can we learn from Him about serving others when we’re hard pressed? We learn that people matter to God. And we learn that God brings people across our path to engage us in His purposes. And of course, like Jesus, we must put others’ needs ahead of our own (Philippians 2:3-4). Finally, we learn that walking in the Spirit keeps us ready to offer appropriate ministry that meets needs.
*Lloyd Stilley is mission strategist for the Bledsoe Baptist Association in Gallatin, Tenn.
Bible Studies for Life
Bible Studies for Life connects the Bible to life for adults, students, and kids. Bible Studies for Life helps individuals and groups know God’s Word through trustworthy content, creates biblical community through engaging and conversational group studies, and helps people engage the culture missionally by unpacking what the Bible says about real-life issues. More information can be found at Lifeway.com/biblestudiesforlife.
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