Does Jesus Care?

There was a Methodist minister named Frank Graeff who lived about 100 years ago. His friends called him "the sunshine minister" because he was always cheerful and positive. He especially loved being around kids - kind of like your favorite teacher who always makes you smile. One of his friends said he was like a "spiritual optimist" - that means he always looked for the good things God was doing, even when times were tough.

But here's the thing - even though Rev. Graeff was known for being happy, he went through some really difficult times too. Maybe he lost someone he loved, or got sick, or faced problems we don't even know about. During one of these hard times, he found himself asking the same question you might ask: "Does Jesus really care about what I'm going through?"

As he wrestled with this question - and wrestling with hard questions about God is totally okay! - he wrote a hymn called "Does Jesus Care?" The chorus gives us the answer:

Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Now let's look at a real story from the Bible that shows us exactly how much Jesus cares. After Jesus had just healed a Roman soldier's servant (which was a big deal because Romans and Jews didn't usually get along), he and his disciples were walking toward a town called Nain. Picture this: they're approaching the town gate when they see a funeral procession coming toward them.

In those days, funerals were very different from today. People would wail and cry loudly to show their grief, and the whole community would join the procession. This funeral was for a young man - maybe someone your older brother's age. But here's what made this situation extra tragic: this young man was his mother's only son, and she was already a widow. That means her husband had already died.

Why does this matter? In Bible times, women couldn't just go get jobs like today. They depended on their husbands or sons to provide for them. This woman had already lost her husband, and now her only son was gone too. She was facing not just the heartbreak of losing her child, but also wondering how she would survive financially. She was probably thinking, "What's going to happen to me now? Who will take care of me?"

When Jesus saw this woman crying, something amazing happened. The Bible says "his heart was touched" - that means Jesus felt her pain deeply. He didn't just feel sorry for her from a distance. He actually experienced her grief in his own heart. Then Jesus did something that probably surprised everyone: he walked right up to her and said, "Don't cry."

Now, you might think, "That's kind of weird - of course she's crying! Her son just died!" But Jesus wasn't telling her to stop being sad. He was telling her she didn't need to cry anymore because he was about to change everything.

Then Jesus did something that would have shocked everyone watching. He walked over to the coffin and touched it. This was a big deal because touching a dead body made you "unclean" according to Jewish law. But Jesus didn't care about the rules when someone was hurting. He spoke directly to the dead young man: "Young man, get up!"

And guess what happened? The young man sat up and started talking! Can you imagine how everyone felt? The people carrying the coffin probably almost dropped it! The mourners stopped crying and started staring in amazement. But the most important thing was what Jesus did next - he gave the son back to his mother. This wasn't just about showing off his power. It was about caring for this woman who had lost everything.

Think about this for a minute: Jesus could have just brought the young man back to life and left it at that. But he made sure to reunite him with his mother. He solved not just the problem of death, but also the woman's fear about her future. That's how much Jesus cares about every detail of our lives.

So what does this mean for you today? Jesus cares about everything you're facing. When you're worried about a test at school, Jesus cares. When your parents are getting divorced and you don't know what's going to happen, Jesus cares. When you feel left out by your friends, Jesus cares. When you're scared about something you saw on the news, Jesus cares.

But Jesus cares about something even bigger than our daily problems. The prophet Ezekiel warned that "the soul that sins will surely die." That means all of us - because we've all done wrong things - are separated from God and facing spiritual death. But Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

Jesus cared so much about this problem - the biggest problem we could ever face - that he was willing to die on a cross for us. He took the punishment we deserved so we could have eternal life with God. That's the ultimate example of how much Jesus cares!

Here are some questions to think about: Can you think of a time when you wondered if Jesus cared about something you were going through? How does knowing this story change the way you might pray when you're facing difficulties? What are some ways you can show others that Jesus cares about them too?

Remember, no matter what you're facing - whether it's something small like being nervous about a presentation, or something big like a serious illness in your family - you can say with confidence what Frank Graeff wrote: "Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares!"

Father, thank you for sending Jesus to show us just how much you care about every part of our lives. Help us to remember that when we're going through tough times, we're never alone. Thank you that Jesus understands our pain and wants to help us through it. And thank you most of all that Jesus cared enough to die for us so we could live with you forever. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Citation: Osbeck, Kenneth W. 101 More Hymn Stories. Grand Rapids, MI; Kregel Publications, 1985. Print.