Taylor talked about a game he plays with himself: timing his drive to the movie theater so perfectly that he walks in and sits down right as the opening credits start, accounting for the previews before the actual showtime. He said the whole plan depends on nothing going wrong, and when something does- a red light, anything unplanned- he gets angry and feels like everything is conspiring against him. He used that to introduce the real subject: how he handles being inconvenienced, and how tightly he holds onto his own time.
He connected that to the moment when Jesus’s disciples go into town for food and come back to find Jesus not hungry. Jesus tells them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work,” meaning the conversation he’d just had with the woman at the well satisfied him more than lunch would have. Taylor said Jesus was willing to let his day be interrupted because he knew the interruption mattered more than what he’d already planned. He talked about the harvest field Jesus describes, people all around who are ready to meet him, and pointed to Matthew 9, where Jesus looks at the crowds and feels compassion because they’re “harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.” Taylor closed with Jesus on the cross, dying, still taking the time to talk to the person next to him.
Discussion questions
- In John 4:31-38, when the disciples offer Jesus food, what does he say his real “food” is?
- Jesus tells the disciples to stop thinking about the future and look at the fields right now. Does he say the harvest is ready now, or that they have to wait for it? What does that imply that we should do?
- In Matthew 9:35-38, what words does Matthew use to describe the condition that the people were in that led to Jesus’ compassion?
- What does Jesus tell his followers to pray for when it comes to this harvest?
Digging in
- Taylor plans his drive to the movies so perfectly that one red light can make him really angry. How do we stop letting small interruptions turn into big frustration?
- Jesus skipped lunch because talking with the woman mattered more to him. Think of a time someone interrupted you, and it turned out to actually be a good thing. What happened?
- Jesus felt sorry for people who seemed lost and needed help. How do we get better at noticing people like that instead of walking past them?
- Even while Jesus was dying on the cross, he still stopped to talk to the person next to him. How do we treat people better even when we’re stressed or having a hard day ourselves?
Questions from the video — checked against the transcript word for word:
- What area of your life frustrates you most when it’s interrupted? Is it time with your friends, church, or alone time?
- When has someone else let their day be interrupted for your sake?
- What does it feel like when you recognize an opportunity to let your day be interrupted?
- What are other examples in Scripture of people letting their days get interrupted?
For parents, if you only have five minutes in the car
- What’s something that throws off your whole day when your plans get interrupted?
- Can you think of a time someone dropped what they were doing just to be there for you?
- Is there someone you’ve been sensing you should reach out to, even if it’s not convenient right now?
