Jesus On-call

                A simple beeping sound changed my whole day yesterday. I am in my car driving home from work already quite a bit later than usual. Then I hear it. The power this little beeping tone has is amazing. It makes adult pull their car over and drop anything else they might be doing. I reach to the passenger seat and pull the tiny pager out of my peacoat pocket like a scene from the late 90s. When I call the number on display, I find that there are two emergencies to be tended to. One at each major jail in the city. As the on-call chaplain this day, it is my job to respond, regardless of my regular work hours. So, I turn the car around and head back to the jail I just left. Following that stop, I made the 40-minute trip across one of the busiest freeways in the city to tend to the other emergency.

                A series of unpredicted circumstances led to me working about five hours past what I anticipated yesterday. I wish I could say I was thrilled to suffer for the kingdom, but I cannot. The truth is, I did not feel all that holy, despite the pastoral nature of my task and my literal “calling.” I had been battling sickness in my body and was really looking forward to being able to recover at home. In times like this, however, I am thankful that the Lord reminds me how he handles these situations, and he reminds me that I am to imitate him as my primary calling.

                The moments following John the Baptist’s death come to mind. In Matthew 14:1-12 there is a peculiar scene where King Herod is manipulated by his sister-in-law turned lover and her daughter. After Herod’s niece pleases him and his friends with what is likely a salacious dance routine, he promises to give her anything she asks for. The niece and her mother conspire that she would ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. The king reluctantly honors his oath and prophet of God is beheaded.

                The Scripture says, “Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick (14:13-14).” We must not overlook the fine details at play. The first chapter of Luke tells us that Jesus and John the Baptists are cousins. Surely, they would have been close. Both were probably misunderstood growing up but passed off by others as being a little “different” or “eccentric.” John baptized Jesus at the inauguration of Christ’s public ministry, and they both would have been mocked for the prophetic messages of their adult ministries. Even though Jesus’ own mother and siblings thought him to be crazy at times, John was the one who always “got” his cousin. They would have had a bond that was special among all others.

                Jesus has a notable moment when he learns about the death of his close relative and friend. All he wants to do is have some alone time to grieve. Surely, he draws away to be alone with his Father. This would have been no different than how any child runs to the comfort and wisdom of a parent when they experience the sharpness of a broken heart. However, a crowd of followers find out where he is, and they seek him out to tend to their own wounds. Jesus does not lash out at them from his own pain, and he does not send them away so he can have his own time to heal. On the contrary, verse 14 tells us that when Jesus sees their condition, he has compassion on them and heals their sick. Being fully human, we cannot expect that Jesus’ emotions regenerate or heal in a matter of moments. No, but he makes the decision tend to others in their distress, regardless of his own discomfort.

The following verses (14:15-21), tell us that as the day grows late Christ’s disciples tell him to send the people home to get something to eat. I believe their instruction is two-fold. One, it would allow the crowd to eat because there is not enough food to feed everyone where they are. Two, sending the crowd away would also allow Jesus more alone time and privacy to grieve his cousin’s death. Instead, Jesus picks option number three. He has the people stay, and he creates a miracle with five loves and bread and two fish to feed the thousands. Jesus demonstrates here that his care is complete. Even when he is hurting, he does not just want to touch people and send them on their way. He wants them to be totally nourished physically and spiritually, he wants to fellowship with them, and he wants to see them completely through their hardships.

Jesus is always on-call. For this reason, on-call is not a component of my job that I can resent. I quickly realized that getting home at a convenient hour is far less important than the two hurting souls that needed the consolation of Christ yesterday. One inmate would receive the message that a family member passed away and the other would receive a phone call to his father whom he is told is near death.

This is a Jesus moment. However, it takes a constant eye on Christ’s example to recognize the value of the “call.” Jesus suffered with and accompanied a suffering people regardless of his own circumstances. In that same heart, we too can all be on-call for the brokenhearted around us; pager or no pager.