2nd Sunday in Lent
If Need Calls, It is Jesus Who Follows
"And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples." Matthew 9:19

What an interesting twist to these devotions this morning.  Instead of Jesus calling someone to follow him, Jesus does the following.  He follows a leader of the synagogue whose daughter had just died.  The father hoped that Jesus might bring her back to life.  Jesus doesn't balk at this request.  He gets up and follows to the place of need.

Corinne Chilstrom, wife of former Presiding Bishop of the ELCA Herbert Chilstrom, wrote a moving book abouth their son's suicide titled, Andrew, You Died Too Soon. I'll always remember one of the title chapters, "Run to the Griever."  In it she writes how critically important it is for loved ones to run, without delay, to the griever that is faced with tragedy.  The presence of loved ones is so important that you need to drop everything and "run to the griever."  I'll never forget those words and have tried, whenever possible, to follow that wise advice.

In this lesson Jesus goes immediately with the grieving father to the house where his daughter had died.  He went, without delay.  Jesus follows to the place of deepest need.  What good news that is!  We will all face times of deep sorrow and trial.  Jesus, in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, follows to that need.  We should never hesitate to make our needs known to God in prayer.  God already knows.  God will follow to that need, with God's comfort, compassion, and love.