I CARE
If you have a Facebook account you may be familiar with the care emoji. When I first saw this I thought it was lame; 'I don't like it or love it; I just care'. But I actually found myself using it for the first time recently when someone posted something sad. I realized that's when the care emoji comes in handy. If someone posts something troublesome or painful, it's not appropriate to click like or love. In the past I would either make a comment or just kept it moving. But now we have an option that expresses care and concern. But obviously being a caring person goes way beyond clicking the care emoji on a Facebook post. Let's see what we can learn today that will help us to be more caring.
1) I don't care.
Jesus told a parable in Luke 18 that focused on our need to pray and not give up. But within this parable we notice something about the subject of caring-really the lack thereof.
Luke 18:2-5, "He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ ”
We could easily get all over this judge for being cruel and cold-hearted but I think it's important to look at this and ask ourselves, 'how many times have I done something like this'? Have you ever done anything out of a sense of duty or obligation or, like in this case, just to get someone off your back?
This woman deserved justice but the one who could do something about it didn't care to. That's interesting, here he is, a judge, put in place to serve those who had a legitimate claim for justice, yet he didn't care about people, nor did he care about God. I don't know why this guy wanted to be a judge, but in any event, he was.
But when you think about it, how many people have you come across in certain positions of care that didn't really care? There are school teachers, medical staff, elected officials, even pastors, that make it pretty clear they don't care. We take into account that people in these positions can have a bad day now and then, but I'm talking about those who have shown a pattern of not caring.
Why they hold the position they do is beyond me but there they are. As Jesus calls this judge unjust for his uncaring attitude, he would no doubt say the same to those who are supposed to care but don't.
What about us? Has the Holy Spirit ever moved you to act on someone's behalf or help them in some way but you put it off? You know you should help but it will involve time and effort and you're just not feeling it. In your mind you say you care but do you really?
I know there are times when we care but we're not able to do something, but what about the times when we can help but we don't? And then there are the times when we finally do help, but only because we know we should, not because we really care. Helping is better than not helping, but helping because we care is much better.
Judas was someone who acted like he cared, but didn't. Jesus and the disciples were at a dinner given in Jesus' honor. Mary, Lazarus' sister, took a pint of expensive perfume, poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair. Judas didn't like that.
John 12:4-6, "But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.’” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it."
Have you ever seen this in action? Someone comes across like they care but there's an ulterior motive at work? Politicians act like they care but it's only to secure votes. Businesses act like they care but it's only to sell a product. Media outlets act like they care but it's only to boost ratings. A person can make a sincere sounding apology but it's only to avoid further trouble. I'm not saying this is true across the board for any of these groups, but it does happen. Sometimes people are not as sincere and caring as they portray themselves to be.
Maybe we've been guilty of this. Have you ever listened to someone talk about their unfortunate situation and responded with, "If there's anything I can do, just let me know", yet all the while hoping they don't take you up on it? We ask, "So, how are you doing" yet use it as a formality, not because we really care how they're doing.
In our sinful nature, we care about ourselves first. Sometimes we're the only one we care about. And just because we get saved that doesn't mean we won't be tempted to not care. We need to identify with the ways we don't care but should. We also need to identify with the things we care too much about.
Sometimes it's not that we don't care, it's that we care too much about lesser things. We care more about looking good than being good. Jesus went after the Pharisees in Luke 11:39 telling them they clean the outside of the cup but the inside is filled with greed and wickedness. Sometimes we care more about things than we do people. We pay more attention to inanimate objects and neglect the needs of others. We need to be more like Jesus and care about the things he cares about.
2) I do care.
When we get to the place where we decide to care about what God cares about we need to determine what that is. What are some things we Christians should care about? God's word.
Deut. 7:11-12, "Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today. If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers."
There are many places in scripture where God told his people to be careful to follow his word. God wants us to care about what he has said. If we care about God we will care about his word. We see caring about God's word involves paying attention to it. This involves a serious focus on it. When you care about something you pay attention to it.
Caring about God's word involves taking the time to study and process it. Caring about God's word involves humbly approaching it to see what it has to say to me. And we see that caring about God's word involves following it. It's not enough to like it, read it, and agree with it; I need to follow it. If I care about what God has said, I will do what God has said. Caring about the bible means seeing the bible as precious and important for holy living.
Justice. Prov. 29:7, "The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern."
Earlier in Luke 18 we looked at the judge who didn't care about God or people. Here's a contrasting verse. The righteous care about injustices toward people: the unborn, racial injustice, religious injustice, sexual harassment, child, spousal or elder abuse, authority figures who abuse their power, corrupt politicians, business people, etc.
We need to be careful that we're getting all the facts from the media or those we're talking with but when it's clear that an injustice has occurred, we should care. What if it were happening to us or someone we loved? Love your neighbor as yourself. Caring about these things should cause us to take action. Whether it's prayer, peaceful protest, being an advocate, donating to a cause that promotes justice, whatever it is, we need to care about the injustices in our world and seek to right the wrongs in our society.
Helping people. In Luke 10, when the expert in the law asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life, Jesus responded by quoting the two greatest commandments, love God with all that you are and love your neighbor as ourselves. Then the religious official asked, 'who is my neighbor'? Jesus gives the illustration about the helpful Samaritan. When a traveler was robbed, beaten and left for dead, a priest and a Levite passed him by on the other side. The ones that should've cared didn't. Then the Samaritan came along.
Luke 10:33-35, "But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him', he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have'."
Here we see many ways this man cared. First, it's understood that the wounded traveler was a Jew. It was well known that Jews hated Samaritans; but this man helped him anyway. In our modern world it would be similar to a black person helping a racist. We are called to care about those who don't care about us. That's the love of Christ. You can hate me but I'll still care about you. When we don't lower ourselves to the level of those who hate, we show ourselves to be thoughtful, caring people.
Then the Samaritan used his supplies to clean and bandage his wounds. Caring for others will involve us using our resources. Then the Samaritan went the extra mile by taking him to an inn and staying with him overnight to take care of him. Then, on top of that, he pays for his stay and promises to reimburse the innkeeper for any extras when he gets back.
This showed how generous the Samaritan was. We don't know if the innkeeper collected more money from the Samaritan when he came back but we see that although the innkeeper may have expected to be reimbursed for taking care of this man, the Samaritan didn't. I'm not saying if we need reimbursement for helping someone it means we don't care, but how much does it show that we care when we are willing to do something with no thought of getting paid or reimbursed for it? We need to show we care.
3) TLC.
Tender, loving care. After Paul, Silas and Timothy had ministered in Thessalonica, Paul sent a letter to them. In it he reminded them of how they were treated while they were there. They were up against some people who strongly opposed the gospel. I get the sense they had made some false accusations because chap. 2 begins with Paul clarifying that they didn't have any impure motives nor were they trying to trick them. They didn't use flattery to hide their greed. On the contrary; they showed them how much they cared.
1 Thess. 2:6-12, "We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory."
So Paul takes the uncaring accusations that were being leveled against his men and counters it with evidence of the caring behavior they exhibited. He points to their gentleness, giving the illustration of a mother caring for her children. That's about as high a comparison as one could make.
They cared by not being a burden to them. Since Apostles were entitled to be supported by the church, Paul could've demanded that the church cover their expenses. But Paul didn't do that. Instead they worked to pay their way and minister to them. We show we care when we are considerate of a person or group's situation and choose to not be a burden to them; even if we we're entitled to compensation.
Look at how Paul describes their actions towards them: gentle, we loved you so much, you had become so dear to us, we were delighted to share our lives with you. They were encouraging, comforting, urging them to live a godly life. Talk about being caring? And this is a bunch of men doing all this.
Guys can care, but sensitivity, gentleness, loving gestures-these things don't come natural to us men. But that's how Paul's team was. And they would've taken their lead from Jesus, who was a sensitive and caring man. So, guys, not only is it okay to be sensitive and caring-it's Christ-like.
But sometimes our TLC isn't as appreciated as it should be. When God told Hosea to find his unfaithful wife Gomer and lovingly take her back; it was to typify how Israel had treated God.
Hos. 13:4-6, “But I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me. I cared for you in the desert, in the land of burning heat. When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me."
Sometimes that happens between parents and children. Parents take care of the kids and when the teenage years kick in they don't acknowledge or appreciate all that you've sacrificed for them. Many times it's not until kids get older and more mature that they realize how much their parents really did for them and how they didn't show much gratitude for it. That becomes apparent when they have kids of their own.
We can be that way toward God. He has done a lot for us; his care is beyond measure. Sometimes we're like ungrateful teenagers. Let's not be like the Israelites who were given a lot of TLC and in their pride forgot what God had done for them.
4) God cares.
If we go back to Luke 18, we see that after Jesus highlights the uncaring actions of the unjust judge, he contrasts that with God, who is caring.
Luke 18:6-8, "And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Jesus contrasts this judge with God and how he will see that his people get justice; even though it may seem like God is slow in administering it sometimes. It's like Jesus is saying, "You feel like God's just putting you off and that he doesn't care. You're wrong, he does care. But where is your faith?"
In verse one Jesus says the main point for this parable was to teach that we should always pray and not give up. But a big reason we would give up praying for something is because we think God doesn't care. "I'm not going to pray about it anymore; God doesn't care or else he would've done something by now."
But Jesus says God will see that we get justice, and quickly. There are times when it doesn't seem that way, though. But God is never late. And while we wait for justice, we trust that God is taking care of us in the meantime.
Psalm 55:22, "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."
When we give it over to the Lord we can be sure that he will take care of us. He will hold us up; he will keep us going. While we wait for God to work in our situation we are not without help. His support gives us what we need so we don't fall.
1st Pet. 5:7, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
Whenever we're anxious we have a remedy-give it to God. He cares about what we care about. Although the situation is overwhelming to us, it's not to God. Taking care of our problem is no problem for him. Our anxiety is lifted when we know God cares.
Phil. 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
The reason we can let go of anxiety and have peace is because we know God cares. Since we know how much God cares, we respond by caring about what God cares about.
