Jesus is Never too Busy to Meet our Needs

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Scripture Text:  Mark 6:53-56

Mark 6:56

 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

(ESV)

Word of Jesus miracles has spread with crowds waiting at every place Jesus goes.  What is amazing about the word spreading about Jesus’ miracles is there were no mass or social media in existence to get out the word of Jesus’ miracles but only word-of-mouth.  The common belief in our modern age is that bad news travels faster than good news, but it would appear the exploits of Jesus were so grand that news is spreading like wildfire. 

We also observe that whenever Jesus met a crowd of people, he would make time to minister to their needs (Matthew 9:36; 14:14; 15:30; 19:2; Mark 10:1; Luke 5:15; 9:11).  However, crowds later would cry for his crucifixion.  The reason for this change in attitude in the crowds is an unrealistic expectation that Jesus would establish a Godly earthly kingdom and throw out the Roman oppressors.  This is an unrealistic expectation that ignores the fact that before there can be a Godly kingdom on earth, God had to re-establish His relationship with humanity lost in the Garden of Eden.  Jesus ministry on earth involved showing compassion on fallen humanity demonstrated by the performance of miracles and the ultimate demonstration of compassion, dying for our sins (Romans 5:8).  Jesus then resurrected from the dead showing his mastery over death and returned to God the Father, promising to return later to establish a Godly Kingdom on earth (Acts 1:10-11). 

Jesus priority in his ministry was to die for the sins of humanity.  During His ministry he saw the suffering of people, the result of sins curse on humanity and never failed to show compassion to suffering people by always taking time to minister to their needs.  Jesus has not changed and still has the same level of compassion for those suffering in a fallen world.  Jesus is never too busy to hear the prayers of His people and why He should be the place we go when suffering.  While Jesus is never too busy to minister to us, we are often too busy to spend time with Him until we are suffering.  While each of us is busy with work, family, and even church activities, we must discipline ourselves to take time out of each day to pray, study, and meditate on the Word of God.

1)      Pray – Relationships grow closer through communication.  Those reading this who are married understand the problems in a marriage relationship when there is a communication breakdown.  In a similar fashion, a relationship with God breaks down without communication.  Prayer is how we communicate with God.  Unfortunately, some people do not pray because they do not know what to say to God.  The good news is God already knows what we need and is waiting for us to ask.  The last part of James 4:2 says we do not have because we do not ask.  However, the first part of the verse speaks of murdering, coveting, fighting, and quarreling for what we do not have.  The lesson this verse teaches us is the importance of asking God for what we need instead of taking it from another.  Since God already knows what is in our hearts, the words we say are unimportant.  Instead, we must be honest with God about what we need and how we feel and express our love for him when praying. 

2)      Study – The Bible is the Word of God but not reading it is another form of communication breakdown.  A dusty Bible is the sign of a dusty soul meaning that a Bible not read indicates a person that does not spend time in regular communication with God through hearing what God has to say in the Bible.  Our busy lives take us through a dark world with the Word of God being a light lighting our path through the world’s darkness (Psalm 119:105).  Do not go out into the darkness of the world without taking the flashlight of God’s Word.

3)      Meditate – The word meditation, unfortunately, has a negative connotation with Christians equating it with eastern religions.  The difference in biblical meditation is it is not an emptying of the mind to listen to one's inner self or heart but instead an emptying of the mind of worldly thoughts and filling it with Scripture.  Biblical meditation is a mulling over of something found in our regular reading of Scripture until it becomes part of our life.  Taking John 3:16 for example, most reading this can recite it from memory.  Meditating on this passage by taking time to mull over its meaning and implication in our lives gives it deeper meaning and application in our lives.  God loves us so much, even though we have sinned and rejected Him, that he sent His Son.  He did not send His Son to conquer the evil in the world but instead sent Him to die for our sins.  Jesus satisfied the death penalty of sin in our lives and by believing and confessing Jesus as Lord of our lives (Romans 10:9-10), we can now enjoy eternal life with God.  Through meditation on this verse, the words moved from something we know to something we can hold in our hearts, letting us know the extent of God’s love for us.  I recommend taking a passage of Scripture speaking to your heart as you study the Bible and write it down, email it to yourself, or text it to yourself so you can take time throughout the day to mull it over. 

A God who is never too busy to minister to our needs wants to spend time with His children.  This requires us to take time to pray, study the Bible, and meditate on Scripture daily to establish healthy communication and a deeper relationship with God.  God is never too busy for us so let us not be too busy for Him.