People Are Funny, Honey

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. –Psalm 34:18 NIV

For many years, I was my father-in-law’s caregiver. Toward the end of his life, he moved in with us, and my husband and I assumed full care. It was one of the hardest—and most rewarding—times in my entire life. Of all my many memories of that time, one has stayed with me: Dad Gamble’s kind way of referring to people who were downright annoying or weird! When most of the world would be irritated with strange behavior, Dad Gamble would just mildly say, “People are funny, honey.” That was his way of accepting people in all their quirks and eccentricities without adding the weight of disapproval and judgment. Since I confess to often being too judgmental, this expression started to work a change in my attitude that thankfully lingers to this day. Let’s face it. We might just be a tad bit weird, annoying, and irritating ourselves. But because we understand ourselves and can give great reasons for some of our odder behaviors, we are okay with our decisions and actions. It’s those “Other People” who drive us crazy, right? Jesus lived out this loving acceptance of people’s foibles while never compromising truth in His conversations. Let’s look at a few examples and perhaps learn to gentle our own irritations in the process.

Blind Bartimaeus, Mark 10:46-52. Jesus was walking along with the usual crowd when Bartimaeus surmised that it was actually Him, the Healer, walking near him! Bartimaeus couldn’t reach Jesus easily, which makes sense considering the crowd and his blindness. So, he did a socially awkward thing. He started shouting as loud as he could, asking for Jesus’ help. Even when the irritated crowd told him to keep it down, he paid no attention and shouted even louder. Was Jesus irritated by this attention-demanding, socially inappropriate shouter? Nope. He stopped. He heard Bartimaeus’ desperate need and desire. Jesus opened his eyes and gave him sight. How beautiful! People are funny, honey. When they’re desperate, sometimes they get loud. We need to understand that and not condemn them out of hand.

The Woman Who Washed Feet and Dried Them with Her Hair, Luke 7:36-50. A Pharisee invited Jesus to his home but did none of the socially correct things for Him, like washing His feet when He arrived. Not sure why, but he didn’t. Enter a “sinful woman.” Very unsure how she managed to get in, but there she was, thoroughly unwanted by the host, falling at Jesus’ feet and weeping. Then, she poured a jar of perfume over His feet and dried them with her hair. This sounds really strange to me. And you know what? I bet it was pretty strange even back then when feet had to be regularly washed due to sandals on dusty roads. But still. A woman wiping a man’s feet with her hair? Definitely weird. Yet, Jesus saw straight through to her broken, repentant, worshipful heart. And He honored her. People are funny, honey. When someone helps them out of a dark place, their response just might seem over-exuberant and unseemly to the more conservative crowd. We need to see their hearts and rejoice.

The Woman at the Well, John 4:4-42 In this example, Jesus went out of His way to meet a woman. That alone was different for His time, but this woman had been married five times and was now living with a man who was not her husband. We have moved from “weird” behavior to sinful behavior. We don’t know the details of her case that clearly, but Jesus did, and He engaged her in conversation, humbled Himself, and asked for her help with a drink of water. He stated the details of her checkered history to her but also informed her He was the Messiah she had been waiting for. Honestly. Speaking truth in love is hard for us humans. We can err easily on either side—speaking truth harshly, wounding, pushing away—or loving without helping, leaving the person in a dark place of sin. Just look at how Jesus helped her! Oh, how we need His Spirit when faced with hard situations. People are funny, honey. They have a history that is detailed, traumatic, and definitely beyond our ability to truly understand. Our hearts should be for them and for their walk toward the Light. Let’s be careful how we speak to them, always honoring and desiring the truth, always mindful of their fragility.

Heavenly Father, forgive me for the many times I have judged and been irritated by people whose stories I never bothered to learn. Help me to follow the beautiful example of Jesus in all my dealings with others. Thank You for truly seeing each one of us, hearing the cries of our hearts, and healing the wounds we carry. How I praise You and thank You for Your Son! Amen.

You are loved,
Sharon

Sweet Selah Ministries

Vision
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service

 Mission
To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)

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