Apathetic-Who cares?

Playing cards last evening I said that I was "apathetic".  My opponent said "What does that mean?" to which I replied "That I have a non-caring attitude." referring to winning at cards. This conversation made me wonder (as most things do)!  Is apathy a severe problem?

Just what is this "non-caring attitude"? It's indifference. Lack of interest in important matters. No concern for whatever. Worse yet, an apathetic person has a lack of feeling and is unemotional!

The shortest verse in the Bible is perhaps the most profound! That small verse shows care, love, concern, a burden, and a total lack of apathy! That one small verse was:

 John 11:35 Jesus wept."

The friend of Jesus, Lazurus by name had died. He lay in the tomb and was already decaying since Jews never embalmed.

John 11:33 "When Jesus therefore saw her (Mary, the sister of Lazurus) weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled."

For whom did Jesus groan? What troubled him? He hurt for the death of his friend, he felt Mary's sorrow at the loss of her brother, he had pain for the Jews they being friends of Lazurus and he cried because no one had yet got the message. That message is that Jesus is God and that Jesus came to defeat death! Jesus cried mostly because those who loved and followed him had such little faith in who he was and is!  Jesus cares!

Any rational person must admit, Jesus is the most compassionate person who ever lived. With that compassion Jesus was the least apathetic person ever!

Apathy is a nondescript word. It cannot describe nouns without using the phrase "lack of" preceding the nouns: "care, concern, feeling, interest, passion, sensitivity, sympathy, and warmth".  The person who is apathetic, then" is a person with a neutral outlook on life! They aren't negative necessarily. They are just without human emotion. That's a bad place to be!

Jesus cried!  It's normal, even desirable, that we too should cry. At one time in my life, I was unable to cry. I wasn't apathetic, I thought, I just didn't get emotional enough to cry.  That worried me and I sought help through prayer. I prayed to God that I would care enough to cry!  With that statement I revealed the condition of my heart. "I was apathetic!"  I wanted to care enough to cry. I forget for what reason, but one day I cried for another! I had a feeling of relief and God had answered my prayer. I now care! Although "Real men don't cry." is the mantra of the macho, the truth is that "Real men do cry!" Real Christian men cry often. Jesus was a super-macho man. "He wept." His tears changed the world.

I had the ability to shed tears. I had cried before, but only for selfish interests. "Pathos" from which the word "apathy" is derived means "feeling". The "a" means without, hence "apathy" is "without feeling". It's understood that one should have appropriate feeling in IMPORTANT matters.  The crying I had experienced was out of fear of punishment, fear of getting caught doing something wrong or fear of not being included. I guess those issues were all important to me, but of little importance in the whole scheme of things because they were all "I" centered.

As an example to make the point, I'll go to the Seinfeld show again. As usual Jerry was dating a girl with a "problem" since all Seinfeld girlfriends were dumped because of his shallowness. This girl cried when her hotdog came without mustard! However, when she learned that a grandparent had just died her attitude was "Oh, well." and she went on with the ballgame she was playing. The girlfriend's emotions were inappropriate for the event. She cried in self-interest, but not important matters. She was apathetic. That at one time was my own emotive characteristic!

We all need a reason to cry. It's got to be an important reason to be meaningful. The most important reason for crying in the entire universe is contained in this one verse:

Mark 15:37 "And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost."

This is what's called "The agony of Jesus." He felt severe pain. He was beaten to a state beyond recognition; so badly than his humanity was unrecognizable.  As an example of the disfigurement Jesus endured, let me relate a short true story:

My son was beaten ten to twelve times in the face with a tire iron. Even after a day, when I saw him, I didn't recognize my own son!  In fact he looked like a being from another planet. I say that with all sincerity. His entire head was swollen to twice the size and his face was so puffy his eyes couldn't be seen. His lips were just a swollen mass of tissue. I hurt for him!

My son was still less injured than was Jesus!  Before his death Jesus agonized. He felt severe physical pain!  But you know what? Jesus had no narcisstic interest in his own pain. The agony he felt was for mankind!

Revelation 1:5b "Unto him that loved us (Jesus), and washed us from our sins in his own blood..."

Jesus cried because he "loved us". He loved us so much that our sins were taken on by him and we are redeemed by "his own blood". Jesus wasn't agonizing for his own pain. He was in spiritual pain. His pain was because he was bearing all the sins of mankind who ever did live or ever will live. It was a severe spiritual load and Jesus was drained; not of his spiritual power, but of his human energy. He hurt for us because he loves us so! If Jesus had been apathetic, he would have never died for us. His agony would have never occurred. In short, Jesus knew not apathy.

Does the "agony of Jesus" precipitate feelings from you? Does this verse make you cry: Mark 15:37 "And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost." 

Right now take your mind off everything. Forget about today's activities, the fun you had last night and the pleasures of this life. Quit thinking about yourself! Now focus on Jesus and him dying on the cross. It should have been you and me! We deserve death because we are guilty. Jesus was not. Have you done bad? Real bad? Even some bad? Yes, we have all broken all the commandments, if not outright, we've done so in our hearts. We're all no better than murderers, thieves, liars, idolators, who respect no one and loves themselves. I know, you say "I've been good!". Seriously, if you truly believe that you're good, you "spit" at Jesus when he died for you! You call him a liar!

You cannot take your mind off things that long, huh? Yes, it's difficult, but it must be done! You must care! You must exchange apathy for tears. I'm referring not only tears of love, but tears of sorrow. You must cry because you have wronged God. You must cry when you sin again. You've just got to care! The one thing that a narcissistic person can legitimately care about oneself is the condition of their own heart! Do you care where you spend eternity? You should. Jesus cared!

If you care, apathy lies in the past. Your lack of concern is forgiven and the slate wiped clean. You see, the crimson blood of Jesus cleans thoroughly, No sin shows through that blood. The past is not even a blur. Apathy is a gift of the devil. Love and feeling is a gift of God. Choose sides now, but choose wisely. Care enough to weigh the consequences of an unwise choice. Apathy away!