Don’t You Care?

Don’t you care?!

We have been talking about how to encourage and best support pastors during this global pandemic when all the ways you are used to shepherding are gone.

Maybe you feel like Martha? Desperately trying to get a meal together for your flock – learning new technology like Facebook Live or Zoom.

Martha comes to Jesus accusing her sister of not helping and asks Jesus, Don’t you care?

That seems to be our question when life is falling apart, God, don’t you care?

Mark tells us about a time when Jesus and his disciples are out in a boat and one of those infamous storms comes up, and these men fear for their lives, and they wake Jesus, Don’t you care?

Jesus, being a rabbi, answers the question with a question, Don’t you trust me?

Is it possible that God allows us to experience lesser needs that we might understand our greatest need?

Those four guys who carried their paralyzed friend to Jesus thought his need was to walk.

Jesus knew the greater need, Your sins are forgiven.

Joel tells us of a time when swarms of locusts came in waves, devouring everything and leaving behind them a famine.

No food. Animals are starving. Nothing for sacrifices. No grapes for wine.  Nothing.

It’s hard to imagine food to survive as a lesser need.  They must have been frantic searching for food.  But there’s nothing.

They cry out to God.

And God answers them, Declare a holy fast.

What?

It’s the greater need.  In a famine you are searching for food.  In a holy fast, you are looking at God.

Only one thing is needful, the one who calms the storm, the one who forgives sins, the one who directs us to declare a holy fast is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in grace, he calls us to turn to him.

Sit at his feet. Let him love you. Love him. Love your people. Take a breath. He cares.

Robin Schmidt

Administrative Assistant PIR Ministries