The problem of caring

The problem of caring.
Caring can be depressing.
That seems odd. Maybe even wrong. But it's true.

Ecc 1:1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
Ecc 1:2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”

Even caring.

It doesn't matter whether we even know the people we care about.  If we really care about them - it's still depressing when they don't care.  And not because we can't do anything about their lack of caring - because we can't, and we know that.  It's their lack of caring about themselves that is the problem.

But that's exactly what we're called to do as Christians -

Mt 22:34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Mt 22:37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

But even as we read this - we know that most of the time - as Qoheleth, the teacher, says - it's meaningless.  We cannot convince anyone to care about themselves.  But we're asked to love them - and care about them - even though they don't (care about themselves).

By "care about themselves" - just to be sure, I'm talking about their future - the forever future.  Not whether they're loving themselves and having fun in the current moment, without a care as to what comes even in the next 5 minutes, let alone for eternity.

Think about the Old Testament people of God.  

Maybe Moses.  Look at all the grief he got from the Israelites, who he was trying to rescue from slavery under Pharaoh.  God called Moses to this task.  Moses was more than a little grudging about it at first - but eventually, he really truly cared.

Ex 32:9 “I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”
Ex 32:11 But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. “O LORD,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’ ” 14 Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

Moses could have been the "new" Abraham.  It wouldn't really have changed the covenant - since Moses was a descendant of Abraham.  But Moses really loved and cared about the people.  At this point, there were likely about 2 million of them.  He certainly didn't know all of them.  But he cared.

For those who may choose to dispute that Moses cared, we read this just a few verses later -

Ex 32:31 So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”

That's caring.  

Remember what Jesus said -

Jn 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Moses was willing to do what Jesus actually did - die for His people.

Like I said - that's caring.

But look what happened.