Welcoming

"But the people learned where Jesus went and followed him. Jesus welcomed them and talked with them about God’s kingdom. He healed those who needed to be healed. " Luke 9:11

I know what it is like to just want to get away from people and be alone. Spending time with a few intimate friends always energizes me. I can get lost in conversation and mutual displays of wit (or supposed wit). But, much time in large crowds actually drains me. This has become more acute as I have dealt with my headache I woke up with almost seven years ago, and has yet do go away. I have a limited amount of energy I can spend on the buzz of human interaction before I need to hide away. Jesus, however, seems to always stop for those who need Him, even when He needs solitude the most.

This was illustrated by a verse in the Gospel of Luke that struck me today. Jesus meets His disciples after they have been all over the countryside telling everyone about the Good News and healing people. It says that Jesus took them to another town so they could be alone together, just He and His disciples. But, people found out anyway, and they followed Him all the way to town.

Then, in Luke 9:11 it says, “He welcomed them and talked with them about God’s kingdom and healed those who needed to be healed.” I think that is so awesome. Jesus wanted some alone time. He was probably looking forward to hanging out with his pals, the disciples, and listening to their stories. I’m sure he wanted to encourage their budding ministry. Instead He is swarmed from all directions by this crowd.

Have you ever had that happen? You know, you just want to be alone. That’s when the phone won’t stop ringing and you bet like a bazillion texts, all wanting you to reply right away. It wouldn’t be so bad any other time, but you’re wiped out and really need to some peace and quiet. Sometimes I even ignore the phone when I’m feeling like that. I confess it. In better days, I would race to get the phone before second ring finished.

But not Jesus. He could have hidden, I suppose. Or had one of the disciples tell the crowd, “Uhm, the Messiah is busy right now. He’ll get back to you at a more opportune time!” Instead, it says that Jesus “welcomed them.”

When I’ve been really tired and someone calls or comes by, even if I answer, I’m not all the “welcoming”. I hate to admit it, but I try to make the conversation as short as possible to get back to the couch and under the blanket. But Jesus welcomes them! After a long haul trip around the dusty roads, He welcomes them. It never matter to Him what time it is, where we are, or how many times we’ve bugged Him in the past. When we come to Him, He always welcomes us. I love Him for that. I know there is nothing we can do to drag down His energy now; but I’m pretty sure there are times He might rather have spent time with, I don’t know, a missionary far from home, than a whining pastor.

And, He didn’t cut the conversation short, either. It says that He “talked with them about God’s kingdom.” Oh man, I could listen to that all day. I’m tired of this “kingdom”, you know, the one where you’re not sure if people are really your friends; the one where your money runs out too quick; the one where you forget what you wanted to say right at the moment you get a chance to say it! He talks to them about His kingdom.

The kingdom of God is one where the poor in spirit, the downhearted, are taken care of first. That’s right, the ones who most people would ignore get first shot when God’s in charge. His kingdom is one about peace, not anxiety. His kingdom is about purity, not mixed motives and greed. His kingdom is one where forgiveness is always available and mercy never runs dry. Though it’s sometimes difficult to walk in God’s ways, the one thing we always know: His ways are GOOD!

And Jesus doesn’t just give them a little sermon and then say, “You’re dismissed till next week.” He hangs around and heals everyone who needs to be healed. That makes me think; sometimes maybe I don’t get everything He’s talking about, right? Maybe it’s all gone over my head. But, if I need healing, it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t say, “Ok, first, repeat back my first three points about the kingdom of Heaven.” Nope, if you heed healing, He heals you!

Apparently this little parenthesis lasts quite a while. The teaching and healing times leads from afternoon into the early evening and the disciple become fretful. They suggest it is time to send the crowds home so they can find food and lodging for the night. Jesus says, “You feed them.” And then, over the next few verses, we read the famous story of the feeding of 5000 people with five loaves and two fish.

All this simply reminds me who Jesus is. He had a legitimate reason to seek seclusion. He was tired, played out. He was fully human and needed rest as much as any other person. He was also drained spiritually, and I’m sure He couldn’t wait to spend time with His Father in quiet peace. But, human need came first! And, He has not changed.

I think this is what His church needs to look like as well. Are we “welcoming” anyone who comes to us? And when they do, what do they hear? I hope it is about the “kingdom of God” and not politics or other soapbox issues. And they should always find healing among those who follow Jesus. Whether it is physical healing, as in this story, or any other repair of the mind our soul. I hope the Body of Christ can take notice of Jesus’s beautiful response to the crowds when all He wanted was to be alone.