Seeing The Invisible: Small Things

Luke 7:12-14

As [Jesus] approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out… Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, 'Young man, I say to you, get up!'

For some years I was privileged to have the use of a scanning electron microscope. This opened up a whole world of images of everyday creatures, like houseflies or woodlice – details we normally ignore because we can’t see them. Preparing the samples included plating them with gold to conduct away the electrons. ‘What were you doing at work today, darling?’ – ‘Oh, just gold-plating some houseflies…’!

A real close-up of a housefly’s head is the stuff of nightmares! Perhaps it’s just as well flies are so small, so we can safely ignore them (or swat them) and sleep well at night. But sometimes it’s worth taking a closer look at little things...

The Gospels describe quite a lot of ‘little’ things that Jesus did, often with great effect. In Matthew 8 we read that a man with leprosy came to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ – and Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. Jesus reached out his hand – how long did that take? A second? A movement apparently insignificant, such as we make many times a day, yet we read that ‘Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.’ A second of time, a simple gesture – but not insignificant at all!

Later, Jesus simply lifted some bread from a table and broke it. Another momentary, everyday action, yet through it two despairing disciples in Emmaus recognised their risen Lord!

Breaking some bread, reaching out his hand, writing in the dust, mixing up a little mud, pouring a cup of wine or going up to touch the bier at a young man’s funeral… each a momentary, seemingly insignificant action. But each with huge importance – because this is Jesus. Small, yes, but through each we see something more of the Father’s love and power.

Prayer — Thank you, Lord, that even your smallest touch has huge significance. Please touch me today…