A stone's throw away

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

The idiom a stone’s throw away comes from the scripture Luke 22:41 where Jesus speaks of the distance a stone can be tossed, “He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,”.

My grandma’s house sat on a 10 acre hill. Three of her children ended up living right on the property after they married while our family lived a whole 3 miles away. Family get-togethers were often because most lived only a stone's throw away. My cousins were my first friends and it was wonderful growing up with them so close.

One of the first lessons I learned as a new believer was the fact Jesus carries our burdens. We’re not alone. It’s a very common imagery for us to lay our burdens at the foot of the cross and I picture this as a very tender moment.

In 1 Peter chapter 5, apostle Peter writes to the elders giving them clear instructions on how to live a life full of grace. As elders in the church, they were called to live to a higher standard, to set the example of Christ. He tells them in 1 Peter 5:7 to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” To cast something is a deliberate act and usually you’re aiming at a target with force.

Rather than laying down our concerns, Peter is telling us to cast our anxiety at Jesus. Whenever something is thrown at us, our instincts are to lift our arms, cup our hands, and catch. Jesus is actually holding his arms out ready to catch all we toss at Him. But in order for this to happen we have to let go and deliberately throw them at Him.

As much as my family loves one another, Jesus loves us even more. What a beautiful revelation to know we’re cared for so much and he’s never more than a stone’s throw away, ready to lighten our load and make the catch.