“From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour… Jesus cried out with a loud voice,.. ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?..’ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit…
“There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.”
“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. There was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow… [He] said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said… Go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him…’ So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.” Matthew 27:45-46,50,55-56; 28:1-3,5-9
The women who had faithfully followed and actively ministered to Jesus during His public ministry did not stop caring at His death. They watched Him at the crucifixion as He lovingly tended to others until His last breath. As soon as possible after the Sabbath, they went to His tomb, and in the continuance of their caring, were blessed by His appearance. Had they given up in sorrow and moved on into a more ordinary life, they would have missed the joy of His glory and presence in the keeping on.
A natural desire to control our environment and tendency to impatience lead to limited caring about others. When my emotions get pulled, when it’s convenient for my schedule, or it serves my interest or benefit, I can care a lot. In fact, it feels good to care, and I like the strokes I get in return. But if caring requires me to relinquish control of my managed life, or my sympathetic feelings fade, or the situation drags on and intrudes on my sense of order or disrupts my comfort, my benevolence can wane. The measure of our care for others reveals much about our selfishness, pride, and greed.
The Lord’s example and call are to keep caring for the long haul. Love as He has loved us. Spend what He has entrusted to us for the sake of others. In God’s economy, love has no limits, nor compassion a hard stop. (Luke 23:39-43; John 13:1,34; 19:25-27)
Are we more prone to one-time kindnesses than to making long-term investments in ongoing needs? What personal agendas and comforts preclude our making ourselves available? Does desire for autonomy or fear of missing something else curtail genuine compassion? How willing are we to care as Jesus does? What will we do regularly to uphold, encourage, pray with, practically help, and attentively love others?
Faithful Lord, help me deeply and consistently care for those You put in my life, reflecting Your grace, love, and generosity.
As the rain and snow 