Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Many people have wondered, “Does Jesus Care.” Does He care about necessities of life, about our loved ones and about our salvation? As we study the Word of God, we discover that Jesus truly does care about these things and so much more. Because of His love for us in so many areas of life I believe that we should have a proper amount of love for ourselves and others as well.
We find in Matthew 23-27, Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee when a great storm arose upon them. Jesus was asleep in the boat, but his disciples were afraid, they were no doubt fearful for their lives. They woke Jesus pleading with Him to save them from the storm. Jesus out of love for his friends, spoke to calm the tempest. It was His love for them that prompted Jesus to take action. The miracle that day was accompanied with a rebuke of the winds and the waves. In His actions Jesus showed His love for them both physically and spiritually. His love moved Him to action. All this was done because Jesus cared for them. When we ask someone if they care for us, we are asking if they love us. This story shows us that true love for others involves more than just words; it involves actions on our part (1 John 3:18). Those that truly care for others go beyond mere words and act because of their love.
Even today Jesus cares for all men, even the poor of the world. In the parable of the “Great Banquet,” Jesus specifically bids the poor, the crippled and the maimed to come to Him. In this we too need to learn how to properly love others. We learn in Acts 20:35, that it is “more blessed to give than to receive.” Jesus also cares for the hungry of this world. He proved His love when he fed the four thousand in Mark 8:1-9. Then in Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus once again shows us His love for mankind through all He does for us throughout our daily lives.
Yet, the love of God goes beyond our daily needs, He cares for our loved ones. Just like us, Jesus loved his parents (John 19:25-27). As Jesus was dying on the cross, one of His concerns was the physical care of His mother, Mary. In this passage he charges John the Apostle with her care. In Mark 7 Jesus taught that we are to honor our parents. To honor them is a proper way to love them.
We also see from the Bible that Jesus cared for, that is He loved little children (Matthew 19:13-15). Jesus also commands parents to love their children in Titus chapter two. He also cared for those who had lost loved ones. Two great examples are seen in his care for Jarius when he lost his daughter in (Mark 5:35-43), and His care for the family of Lazarus following his death (John 11:1-44)
However, the love of Jesus goes beyond the physical and reaches unto the spiritual as He cares for the souls of all men. In this love for man, He desires that all be saved. While the physical things are important, they should never overshadow the spiritual needs we have as men. Jesus instructs us to seek for the kingdom of God and His righteousness. This is because neglecting such a great duty places our souls in jeopardy. God’s love for mankind is so great the He gave His only Son so that man through Him might be saved.
Jesus does indeed love us, but do we love him? Jesus stated that if we loved Him, we would keep his commandments (John 14:15). (See Also John 15:14; John 8:31-32). When we obey God the great expression of God’s love (Jesus shedding His blood upon the Cross) can be applied to our souls.
(Tony Hoss is minister of the Centerview Church of Christ, Elizabethton)