Casting and Caring

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 NIV

The apostle Peter knew a thing or two about failing, and yet being forgiven. He denied Jesus, not once, but three times, and in front of a servant girl. How humiliating and embarrassing for the one who was the loud mouthed firebrand of the twelve. Then came the time for proof of his allegiance. Jesus asked Peter, not once, but three times “do you love Me?” Was that once for each denial? We don’t know for sure, but Peter’s confirmation of his love for the Master said it all when he uttered the words, “You KNOW that I love you”. Peter was forgiven, and given work to do when Jesus said, “Feed my sheep”.

I can only imagine that Peter threw himself on the mercy of his Master, because he had seen that same forgiveness shown time and time again to the sinners who also knew that Jesus was their only hope. We tend to emphasise the first part of this verse because that’s our responsibility. We must cast ourselves on Him, or to put it another way, we fall at His feet in the full knowledge of our sin and wrongdoing. In that respect, Peter was no different from the biggest sinner who came to Jesus.

But why would anyone do that? After all, humanly speaking we could be sent packing with a flea in our ear! However, deep down, in the heart of each person who came to Jesus, there must have been a recognition that He would not turn them away. I go back to the question why? The latter part of the verse holds the key to our Saviour’s heart when Peter reminds us that “He cares for you”. Everything that Jesus did, and still does for man/woman, his chief creation, is because He cares. It’s that simple. That’s why we can come to Him with worries, cares, and our sin, in the full assurance that Jesus cares. No ifs, ands, or buts, He cares for us. So, when we come to Him in repentance, He will never turn His back on us. Who better to know this than the apostle Peter. His words ring as true now as they ever did.

We do the care casting, but it’s Jesus who does the caring. I like that.