Sermons for the Month
Surrender Independence and Gain Rest that Energizes
DATE: July 3rd, 2005
SERVICE: 7th Sunday After Pentecost
TEXT: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN
If you had stopped by to visit me at about 8 p.m. on Monday you could have seen a living illustration of why today's Gospel is: (A) difficult to do when it's interpreted properly, or perhaps I should say fully, and therefore (B) why it's often misinterpreted.
Here's what you would have seen had you come at just the right moment on Monday evening. The condo owner - that's me - barefooted, balancing on one leg, on a wooden chair, reaching for an extension cord outlet that is attached to an outdoor light. It was an attempt to get enough leverage to plug in an electric cord from my new outdoor fountain. You see, the plug was sticking - it would not go all the way in.
Now, keep in mind, that anyone just a bit taller than me could have accomplished this task without difficulty. But, I did not want to ask any of the numerous people I know who are just a bit taller than me. Instead, there I balanced; had I shifted just a hair one direction or the other there might have been another ending involving injury to the fountain or to me. Perhaps I would have then been more inclined to ask for help in the future.
But, I have an independent streak - appropriate as we look forward to Independence Day - which is OK except that it extends too far at times causing me to trust too much in my own abilities. Then, it can become burdensome. The solution to this problem - which I imagine is one that others struggle with as well - is found in today's Gospel lesson.
Could it be that familiar quote, "Come to me all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest?" Ah, we say, it's such a relief to know that we can hand our burdens over to Jesus and lighten the load. Well … that's true … except that this text does not say that Jesus will take away our burdens.
Look at it again. Jesus says, "Take MY yoke upon YOU, and learn from me…." It's important to note that the text says we are to take the yoke of Jesus on us, not that Jesus takes our yoke onto himself. In other words, this is not something which is done to us; rather it is something in which we play a part. So, how do we take on the yoke of Jesus?
Whenever I hear that word "yoke" I think of the illustrations of oxen wearing yokes which were in the Laura Ingells Wilder books which I read over and over again as a child. In such drawings the yoke was a wooden bar used to join those huge animals at the neck.
In Jesus day there were, of course, yokes of this type. In fact, they were tailor-made for the animals who would wear them. The goal was to make a yoke that would not hurt the ox. Carpenters may have advertised, "My yoke fits well."
But, the word yoke had another meaning for those who first listened to Jesus. Yoke was used as a reference to the laws of the Jewish faith. It was said that the Jewish people had "put on the yoke of the law." But, unlike the yoke for the oxen this yoke hurt those who were wearing it.
Those who Jesus was addressing had been driven to weariness and despair trying to keep the law. Their religion was a burden - an endless set of rules which governed every action and activity of lie - rules that were impossible to keep. This yoke was hard to wear, and it was heavy.
It is to them that Jesus says, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." He is offering them a new type of yoke that will not hurt them. The old yoke was the law. The new yoke which Jesus offered was God's love and forgiveness.
We too are invited to put on the yoke of Jesus. It's held out to everyone; the love and forgiveness of God which we receive through Jesus is not something we earn, it's a gift. But in order to fully benefit from this gift - this yoke - we must be willing to hold out both hands to receive it. I think of that as a motion of surrender. Wearing the yoke of Jesus means that we acknowledge that God is in control. To live under the yoke of Jesus is to say, "I am no longer the master of my life. The world no longer revolves around me. I will live by the Spirit, not by my own resources."
In short, to take on the yoke of Jesus requires that we allow God to be the guiding force in our lives. And although Jesus describes his yoke as easy, some people find putting it on to be quite difficult. Doing so can be a challenge for those who trust in their own abilities and celebrate being independent.
So it's a good thing for me that I put on this Stoll at least once a week. It is a symbol of that yoke, a reminder that I have been blessed by the forgiving love Jesus offers, but also that I must allow him to be Lord of my life.
You may have noticed that as today's Gospel lesson began it was a bit confusing. Jesus is expressing frustration with people who find fault with him and with John the Baptist - two very different men. They prefer to sit on the sidelines and criticize rather than to open their hearts and minds to the ministries of these two men. This is true in spite of the fact that "wisdom is vindicated by her deeds" - which is another way of saying that Jesus' actions speak louder than words.
Through Jesus people have been healed, been cleansed, been restored to life, and yet these critics refuse to see and to respond. These "wise" ones, these "intelligent" ones, these "independent" ones are missing out. They are unreceptive. They will not admit their need, but instead rely on their own abilities and resources. So, Jesus says, he prefers the "infants", that is those who are able to trust, to acknowledge their short comings and to receive the grace of God with gratitude. It is to them that rest is promised.
There is an important message here for we who balance on that chair of independence, determined to rely on ourselves and our own abilities, because inevitably our balance shifts and it all comes tumbling down. If we do not put on his yoke, that is if we do not allow Jesus to be Lord of our lives and rely on the power of the Spirit, we will miss out on the rest he supplies.
I have to tell you, though, that this rest is not the kind that allows us to sit back, put up our feet and be spectators. The Greek word that is used means a rest that refreshes one for the work that lies ahead. This is the rest that create energy, purpose and vision in people, and ironically it is the result of letting go of the need to "do it" on our own.
This is the rest we truly need; rest that revitalizes and strengthens us to face the joys and challenges of life. This week I read a quote by St. Francis that is so true. I'll update the language a bit before I share it with you. He said something like this:
"Everyone knows how to be at peace amid the joys and happiness of prosperity, but to be so amid the storms and tempests is unique to the children of God." In other words, the burdens of life - while noticeable - will not overwhelm those who are wearing the yoke of Jesus. I want you to think about that for a moment. Don't you know Christians who faced - or are facing - huge challenges with unexplained fortitude? They have taken the yoke of Jesus upon themselves, and trusting in him they received the rest they needed to go on.
Being independent is pretty tempting, but when all is said and done, it's a restless life. So, today, instead of celebrating independence let's celebrate surrender, as we take on the yoke of Jesus. Then, our burdens become surprisingly light and rest is amazingly energizing. AMEN