"Lord, don't You care?"

Luke 10:38-42, "As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

I suppose that there are a zillion points that could be honed in on and magnified and discussed in this passage. Ah, that is one thing that so enthralls me with God's Scripture. Every morsel has a thousand tastes. Each find has an endless mining. Each treasure is multi-faceted. On this earth, we will never be able to see all that is to be seen... we will never be able to learn all that is meant to be taught... we will never hear all that is meant to be said on any one scripture alone. How I LOVE that!

I love how one scripture can say something to you on one day. And it can be HUGE! And then, on another day, that same word can blow your mind with a whole different meaning! I imagine that that's one thing that God means when He says that His Word is "alive and active" and sharper than any two-edged sword! Oh, how I love it!

But back to the passage.

In this minute today (though I've spent many other of my minutes on this day mining other points from this passage), my focal point is this one. "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?"

Martha is frustrated.

She's all in a flurry over all the things that need to be done. And rightly so for the occasion. I'd be the same way. There was lots to be done. Wait, what am I talking about? I've been the same way! I've done the same thing..... Ever had Life Group (or something of the sort) at your house (*smile*)?

But this is what I love about Martha's anxiety, her worry, her cares, her complaint!, her frustration, her aggravation toward her sister! I love what she does with it! I love that she takes her complaint about another (her sister) to Jesus! and that she asks Him, "Lord, don't you care?"

Because: YES! YES! YES! Yes, indeed, He does!

He cares!

He's told us to cast all our cares upon Him... all our anxieties, "because He cares for you." - 1 Pet 5:7

The AMP words it this way, Cast "the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully."

He cares about what we care about!.... even if it's our anxious thinking!.... even if it's our thoughts of complaining! even if it's our mad toward our loved one!.... Or, even if it's our hatred toward our enemy! And I can guarantee you that He had rather you complain to Him about another of His children than you complain and gossip and slander and curse them to themselves or to a neighbor.

And you know what else I like about it? I like what Jesus does with it.

Do you know why I like how He handles it? Because I know how it feels. I not only understand His answer, but I know how it changes a countenance, how it changes a prospective, how it helps to loosen your hold on your offender or the thing that you're mad about and submit to your Savior and His answers instead. I know how it changes your focus back to where it should be... to the plank in your own eye, so that you'll quit focusing on the speck in another's! I like how it makes you more merciful toward them, because of the mercy that you need.. and have been so graciously given. I like how it prods you toward asking repentance for your own ugliness, and your realization that you never have reason or room to point out the 'sin' of another... or to what another should be doing... because you suddenly realize that there's still so much work for Christ to do in you!

And I like, really like, that His answer to Martha had to do with Martha! There is no telling what Jesus was saying to Mary. Who knows? Maybe He was telling her that she needed to serve more???? That she needed to put what He was teaching her into practice. That she needed to put actions behind the words that He had been saying to her. I like that He wanted Martha to be concerned with what Martha needed to be doing to be right? rather than dogging Mary with Martha. Yet, I can't help but wonder if He looked at Mary as soon as Martha left and grinned at her and said as He got Himself up, "Let's go help her!"

I like that when we come to Jesus with our feelings (or our hurt feelings that someone else has hurt) that He bends to heal our own wounds within us without blasting the one that's wounded. I like that He cares!... and that He knows how to 'care' for our need even when we don't realize what it is that we're needing.

Ah, there's so much that I like about it!.. but I think I'll hush, though I think that I could go on with the things I like about this forever!

Oh Lord, how thankful I am! How awesome You are! I am so unworthy, yet so worthy to You! And I am so glad that You care! Thank You for minding my own business with me? instead of minding other's businesses with me instead. Shoo, what a horror that would be! You so know! How I love that You do and that You know what I need!        

 In the sweet name of Jesus, I love You so! amen.

One more thing. I can't seem to resist it!

The whole time that I've been working on this I've been thinking about something else. I keep remembering what we're told in John 21:17-22 about Peter and the question he asked Jesus about John.

In the 18th verse Jesus tells Peter that, "... when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." And then, verse 19 says, that "Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God." Jesus then says to him, "Follow Me."

Peter's response requires a laugh. It's so typical! So the picture of what we so often find ourselves doing!

We're told that, "Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them... When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?""

Isn't that us!?! Aren't we always concerned about the other fellow?!

Pitiful of us, no?

When we've just been told (or through circumstances figured out) that our lives aren't going to take the pleasurable path that we had planned for it to, we immediately want to know if it's going to go all rosy and good for the next fellow?... Or, dear Lord, might he be going to have to suffer some pain and hard too,  just like we are?!!! What about him? What about her? What will they have to go through, Lord? Please, make it as painful and hard as mine! So that they'll understand. So that they can relate to me.

Jesus answers him in Jesus' style! He says, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? YOU must follow Me."

There Jesus goes again! addressing the speaker with concern for the speaker. We all need to get our noses out of everyone else's business. What is it to us what the other guy is called to do? or if he's doing it just right as he should? What it all boils down to is that WE must obey Him? We're only responsible for ourselves. WE must do what He says and follow Him to the place that HE leads us!

Oh Lord, we are funny people, aren't we? Maybe only made of dirt? but dirt that is way too often concerned about the dirt on somebody else's dirt? or what all the other dirts are doing. Sometimes I wonder how You can stand us? And then I remember that it's simple. It's simply what Love does! How grateful I am that You are the Potter that doesn't give up on Your clay! Mold me and make me just as You will! Thank You for never giving up on me? and for being so determined to make me what I ought to be! You blow my mind with Your patience and with Your Faithfulness!

Oh LORD, I want to lQQk just like YOU when I grow up!!!!! Please help me with my growing!