‘..and we did not care..’

I am not sure I have heard sadder words than, “I don’t care” or “who cares?” How important is it to care?

I once heard a young man talking about his relationship with his father. To be honest, his father seemed harsh in his punishment for the things this young man did wrongly. After a number of years of wrongdoing and being punished, the young man was arrested. His father never punished him for this. The young man was confused and asked why? and his father said, “I just don’t care anymore.”

According to the young man, this small, but powerful statement hurt that young man more than all the excessive punishment he had received in the past. For someone to ‘not care’ who was inherently supposed to care was apparently devastating to him.

I have contemplated the words of this young man many times. What and who do I care about? I care about eating and sleeping and exercising and working.I care about my clients and pets. Do I care about my neighbor or family or co-workers? I hope I do.

Some tragic events in the Bible talk about Jesus and caring. The New Living Translation Bible quotes Isaiah 53.3 as “He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.”

Tragic words to me. The Creator of the Universe, the Eternal One, Almighty God came from heaven, became a man, walked among us, did many miracles, taught God’s Words, never hurt anyone, was tortured, and ‘we did not care.’

I realize many do care, but there are many that do not take notice of the profound and ultimate Gift God has given to us and the true impact of the Cross and Jesus’ life and sacrifice.

Matthew 22 tells me another tragic story – “Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.  He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come…..” Some had other things they considered more important – they plowed fields, married off their children, and more. They had no time for God. 

Because of this Lenten season we celebrate – the life and death of Jesus – and His resurrection, we have all been invited to the banquet. It is a season for caring.

I love Lionel Harris’ song – “He paid too high a price to have my soul just stirred at times, but never really changed….”

I pray for everyone to care.

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