I woke with one word in my mind…Disruption. Disruption? I wondered, Is this a positive or negative thought? I heard God ask. “Is disruption always bad, Rachel?” My response, “Am I supposed write about disruption, Lord? ”
A few stories from the Bible flooded my mind: Jesus first disruption- simply being born split time, for goodness sake! How about when He overturned the tables of the money-changers in the temple? That was certainly a disruption. Jesus stopped along the road and called down, out of a tree, the short, wealthy tax collector, Zacchaeus.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed Jesus gladly.
(People despised tax-collectors because they cheated and stole from them often. BUT Jesus decided that’s where I’m having dinner tonight! )
All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
(From Luke 19.)
I realized I had only thought of disruption with a negative connotation. Perhaps it is because I was trained as a teacher and a disruption in the classroom or a disruptive student isn’t typically a good thing .
Suddenly, I was struck by how Mary’s disruptive act of love and worship caused the Pharisees to have a “disruption in their hearts” because they had to consider Jesus’ willingness to forgive the sinful woman.
A story of disruption:
“One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
(This would have been a HUGE disruption… A women, kissing and wiping Jesus feet with ointment and tears)
Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”
And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.”
And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.
You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”” Luke 7:36-50 ESV
Disruption: NOUN- disturbance or problems that interrupt and event, activity or process.
This morning my activity of walking in beautiful Nashotah Park with a friend was interrupted by the mushrooms we continually saw along the way. We’ve had so much rain lately so the mushrooms have had perfect growing conditions.
At first I looked ahead and thought, did someone leave white large kitchen trash bag lying in the middle of the mulched trail? I was listening to my friend, but I thought, “Gross, that must be a big trash bag up ahead.”
Then I cried out, “Oh, my gosh! Jill look! It’s a huge mushroom! Let me take a picture of it.”
“Hang on, lemme put my foot in the frame for size reference. It is so big! Oh, brother,” she continued, “Someone must have stepped on it or it just split into pieces.”
“Great. Set your foot right there. I want a photo.” I suggested. “Got it!”
As our walk continued, I wanted to slow down in order to capture some photos along the way. It was amazing!
Is disruption a good or bad thing? Let me turn a corner here for a moment. I’d like us all to consider this. As believers, we are in this world to represent Jesus Christ. RE-PRESENT Him. Some people need another look at Jesus or another introduction to His character and nature. We have an opportunity to be that. I want to re-present him in such a way that causes people to stop and take notice. I’d like to be a disruption or sorts.
I pray my life will cause a disruption of:
- thoughts that need shifting
- preconceived notions
- the course of their day
- process of dealing with an issue or person
- their own thoughts or lies about who they are
I’d like to be similar to the mushrooms I saw on my walk. Why? Because I’d like to have so much WATER- and grow HUGE.
Water is often a symbol of the Holy Spirit, may my life be a HUGE MUSHROOM in their path and cause them to take notice. I pray what is seen is a life that interrupts the norm enough to cause them to see the Jesus I represent.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Is there a disruption in your life right now? What is your response to it? Is Jesus trying to disrupt something for your own good? Perhaps you could make a list of the positives you have seen come from it. Ask yourself, ” Is this really a bad thing? Could I see the good in it?”
rachel inouye 