Mark 3:1-6
Always Time to Care

Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."

Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

New International Version

This scripture passage came to me as I was reflecting about the busy week I have had. I've put in 60 hours at my "day job" this week, including going back to work late at night to fix emergencies. It's been a busy week in other areas of my life, too, so I'm tired... and it's starting to affect my attitude. I am much more willing to accept compromises and take shortcuts when I'm tired. Situations that ordinarily would bother me and provoke me to fix them are much easier to tolerate and accept when I'm run down like this, and I'm catching myself doing that in my activities this weekend. When I'm tired, I just don't want to care.

It would be nice to think the Pharisees in this passage were protecting the Sabbath day of rest, being vigilant so their congregations would get the rest they need to avoid being tired. Instead, they were motivated by protecting their structure, their interpretation of what was right and proper, and their place of power and authority in that structure. Over time, they were so consumed in their need to retain control that they just didn't want to care, either.

But Jesus never didn't care. When the disciples considered him too busy to attend to children, Jesus cared enough for the children and mothers to interrupt his schedule. When Jesus felt the touch on his garment of a woman praying to be healed, he stopped his hurried journey to ask "who touched me?" and attended to the body and soul of that sick woman. In this passage, Jesus performed a defiant act against a powerful establishment, an act that would lead to his crucifixion, because he cared too much not to respond to the faith of that man with a shriveled hand.

This week, it is fatigue that tempts me not to care. At other times, I have been so protective of a tradition or structure that I cease to care. I have felt my authority challenged and have chosen to withhold my concern for one who would treat me so. I have found it easier to ignore circumstances and not care instead of act as Love would require of me. I have found many different ways, and created many different excuses, not to care, but if I am to be a "little Christ", a Christ-ian, I always must care.