No Responsibility but ... Yes Concern

Scripture: Your job is to speak to them. Whether they listen is not your concern. They’re hardened rebels. Ezekiel 2:7

Observation: The call upon Ezekiel includes instructions about how to prophesy to the exiled Jews. He is to declare what he is told to declare, but it is not his responsibility to make them listen. They are rebellious and probably won't listen. The Lord will later clarify that if Ezekiel fails to declare what he is told, he is at fault, but if he faithful declares it then he is not at fault in any way for how (or if) the other Jews receive and act upon the word.

Application: As I am reading currently from The Message I sometimes have to look at other translations to just figure out where verses start and end. However, today I noted this ... the Lord apparently never said anything about whether or not Ezekiel should be "concerned" about the reaction of the exiles. It seems the instructions are more plain that this, stating he is simply to deliver the word of the Lord regardless of any kind of response or action by others. Sure, he isn't to be afraid of their response against him, nor is he responsible for their acceptance and response to warnings and instructions. But "concern" is something completely different.

Concern is to ... care. Concern is to feel emotions like sorrow or worry when others are in trouble. I understand that, when we tell others about Jesus, it isn't our responsibility to "make" them believe it. They have to do that themselves, and that involves their engagement with the Holy Spirit and resulting decisions they make for themselves. But certainly I should be concerned. It is concern - loving others enough to care about their eternal future - that motivates to action.

I bet Ezekiel was concerned about his fellow exiles. He probably wasn't concerned about how they responded toward him ... he had direct encouragement from Yahweh himself to carry him through ... but I'd bet he was sad when they ignored him, worried about their lives and impending punishments. It wasn't his responsibility to make them listen ... but I feel it was his concern.

Prayer: Lord, you have given me a mind for analytics, and so may I find your truth in this fact: I should be more concerned for people, which must motivate me to action. Salvation is not my responsibility, but declaring the gospel is. May I be enough concerned about my friends, neighbors, family, coworkers, and strangers to do so. Amen.