‘O yes, He cares–I know my Savior cares!’

Frank E. Graeff was a minister in the Philadelphia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was a prolific writer of hymns, stories, poems and articles. In 1901, during a dark time in his life, Graeff turned in his Bible to 1 Peter 5:7, “Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.” He then penned the lyrics of the hymn “Does Jesus Care?”

“Does Jesus care when my heart is pained too deeply for mirth or song; As the burdens press, and the cares distress, And the way grows weary and long? O yes, He cares–I know He cares! His heart is touched with my grief; When the days are weary, the long nights dreary, I know my Savior cares.”

In the eighth chapter of his Gospel, Luke tells of a possessed man whose name was Legion because he was possessed by so many demons. What is import ant to keep in mind is that in the Gospels, the influence of demons is physical or mental, not moral, just as Legion’s torment was not in the realm of morals.

He lived in holes or caves in the cemetery because he had no home. He was without clothing, or, perhaps as we would observe, without any good clothing. Sometimes townsfolk tried to chain him—institutionalize him—but that did not work, and he had no friends. He often frightened the local citizens by his bizarre behavior. Bizarre perhaps because he was schizophrenic, otherwise mentally disturbed, or maybe he was just broken down because he had no one who cared for him. Until Jesus came.

In this particular Bible story, Jesus plays the part of The Exorcist. He releases the man from his demons so that, now clothed, he can sit still “in his right mind.” And then, with an affection for his Savior, he asks Jesus if he might accompany him on his journeys. But Jesus says to him, “Return to your home (notice that now, because of Jesus’ miracle, he has a home!) and declare how much God has done for you.” And that is just what he appears to have done, for later in the Gospel, Jesus returns to the same area and is greeted by multitudes!

“Oh yes, he cares. I know he cares. I know my Savior cares.” And God in Christ cares just as much for each of his children. Scripture does not deny God’s concern for, and response to, human sinfulness; but that is not the limit of God’s concern. A parent is not only concerned if their child is disobedient or misbehaves. A loving parent is concerned if their child is lonely, heartbroken, joyless, or has no friends to play with.

As The Exorcist, Jesus’ concern is not if we are sinners—if we are good or bad, but if we are hurt, tortured, exiled. William Paul Young has an interesting translation of 1 Peter 1:9. He bases his translation on the fact that the word “salvation” can and does mean “healing.” You know, when your hurt yourself, you put “salve” on the hurt. And so he translates: “What you have received is what faith is for, the healing of your souls.” Legion’s condition stripped him of agency, sanity, dignity and community. His soul cried out for healing. And Jesus cared.

“O yes, He cares–I know He cares! His heart is touched with my grief; When the days are weary, the long nights dreary, I know my Savior cares.”

Now, go and declare how much God has done for you.