Who Cares?
It is an interesting phrase. Just the tone with which it is spoken can determine its intention and meaning. It can be used to show disdain and lack of concern. I can remember in high school our girl’s basketball team made the state playoffs and while the other team’s players were being announced we hold up newspapers and yell “Who Cares?” when their names were called. We can use it to show lack of interest or concern about what others may think. It will make so and so angry . . . “Who cares?” However, this phrase also has the ability to rattle and shake us to our very core when we ask ourselves the question “Who Cares?”
Text: Mark 4:35-41
35That day when evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took Him along, just as He was, in the boat. There were also other boats with Him. 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40He said to His disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!”
The disciples had a “Who Cares?” moment. They are convinced that the boat is going down. They have seen their last sunrise and if they had cell phones they would have called their relatives and loved ones to say, “Goodbye”. So they run to Jesus. Asleep in the boat, he is awakened by the look of fear in the eyes of his followers and they make the statement, “don’t you care that we are going to die?”
Some thoughts out of this account today for us!
A. You can still have “Who Cares” moments with Jesus on board.
The truth is that you can have Jesus on board your life and still have a day, a week, a month, a year where you are convinced that no one cares.
My health is failing. I am doing everything I know to do to try to find healing. I am eating better. I am exercising. I am taking the meds. I am at wits end. Doesn’t anyone care?
I am working so many hours that I have no real life left. I have cut everything nonessential and I am still coming up short. I am working the budget. I have tried every financial solution in the book and my money still runs out before my month. I am being crushed mentally and emotionally by the mountain of worry because of my finances. Does anyone really care?
I have held on. I have cried myself to sleep. I have fixed myself up. I have gone to the events where there will be possible candidates. I have presented myself in the very best light and still no one for me. All my friends are married. All my friends have found soul mates and yet I am still alone. I go home to an empty house. No one to share my dreams, hopes, and fears with. Does anyone really care?
I have done my best. I have loved. I have compromised. I have believed. I have prayed. I have wept. I have fasted. Still no answer for my issue. My addiction isn’t broken. My bondage hasn’t weakened. My marriage has gotten better. My life hasn’t leveled out? My dreams are still shattered. My love is still denied. Doesn’t anyone care?
Even with Jesus on board we all still have moments where we aren’t sure anyone really cares! Some of you are there now! You aren’t sure that anyone, even Jesus, cares what you are going through right now. Don’t you even care that we are about to perish?
There are some things that you need to know about who cares!
2. Don’t mistake lack of response for lack of control.
And His lack of response doesn’t reveal a lack of care. In fact, I believe that His lack of expected response reveals more about us than it does about Him.
We all have expected responses. Jesus, I expect you to bail me out now. Jesus I expect you to heal me right now! Jesus, I expect you to turn my bank account right now! I expected you step in and save my dream relationship! He can, but He doesn’t always respond in the expected manner. Our problem is we equate the lack of miracle, lack of communication, lack of provision with lack of interest and lack of care!
Don’t misunderstand me. There are some people who sleep through our storms because of lack of care. However, others sleep through them because they are confident of the outcome!
That is why it is absolutely crucial to have the right people on board! Jesus wasn’t unconcerned, He was simply confident of the outcome!
Some of you need to jettison some unconcerned folks from your life because they really don’t care about you. They care about drama. They care about benefits you can give them. They care about their issues. However, there are some folks, and Jesus may be one of them, that you feel like don’t really care because they don’t come running, panicked, wide-eyed and you feel like they have abandoned you! You feel like walking away from them. Be careful it may just be that they are convinced that the outcome is secure!
Your storm may scare you, but it may not frighten them because they are convinced of the outcome! Our nerves can’t make Him nervous! We get in trouble when we want Him to be as nervous as we are. It is at that moment that we fail to understand His presence, His care, and His plan!
Don’t mistake His lack of response as lack of care!
3. His boat choice should comfort us!
36Leaving the crowd behind, they took Him along, just as He was, in the boat. There were also other boats with Him.
Other people were facing the same storm! You aren’t the only boat being rocked. That may bring some comfort this morning just to know that there are people sitting around you that going through too!
But what I want you to notice is which boat Jesus is on! He could have been on one of the other boats! He knows that all the boats are going to be storm tossed. He knows all the boats are going to be swamped. However, He proves He cares because He is on your boat! There were other boats. He chose to ride yours! He could have allowed you to go through this alone. He could have chosen to sit this one out. Instead He climbed up in your boat and He is right here with you! I just wanted to remind someone this morning that He cares and you aren’t in this alone. Even with all your shortcomings and problems He still got on your boat! Even with all your stupid choices and bad decisions He still got on your boat! His boat choice should comfort us!
4. Who can speak to your storm?
It is absolutely essential to have someone on board who can speak to your storms. Some of you have folks on board your life who can speak to you, and talk to you about your storm – they can define your storm, describe your storm, explain your storm, but you have no one who has the authority to speak to your storm. Who in your life cares so much that they will stand up and take authority over your storm? You better get someone like that on board!
5. Fear correctly!
Scripture says that Jesus recognized that when they saw the storm they were afraid. Now Jesus steps in and resolves their issue and it now says . . . stronger word . . . they are terrified. They were shaken more by the solution than they were by the situation!
Some of us are more afraid of the answer than we are of the problem because the answer will require change, it will require work, and it will require effort. Some of us are afraid of the relationship we are in right now, but we are terrified of being alone. (A single lady in the crowd needs to hear me today. You are so afraid of being alone that you are staying in an unhealthy relationship.) Some of us are afraid of the lack of health in our marriage, but we are terrified of going to a counselor. Some of us are afraid of our financial situation, but we are terrified of losing cable TV or having to live on a budget!
Could it be the storm won’t stop until we are willing to embrace the solution? You have to become more afraid of the staying the same than you are of the price required to find change!
MISPLACED FEAR CAUSES MISPLACED FAITH! If you fear the wrong thing you will believe in the wrong thing. If you fear being alone you will have faith in the wrong person to bring you happiness. If you fear budgets you will put faith in credit cards.
Who cares? I came to tell you that Jesus cares! You are not alone. He may not do what you thought He should do when He should do it. But that doesn’t mean He doesn’t care! He has the authority to deal with your storm. Don’t fear what He says to do!
If you are here today and don’t feel like anyone cares hear me carefully. He cares and we care!
