Thursday, July 14, 2016

Matthew 11: 28 – 30

Jesus said:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

A Pharisee lived by the letter of the Law to the Nth degree. Even the most stringent of things were debated and followed. The Law was so strict that it made it nearly impossible to follow faithfully. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law. He is the Law incarnate. He showed to us the true meaning of why we had the Law to begin with. In him the entire Law is boiled down to two commands:

Love thy God with your entire self.

Love everyone else as God has loved you.

If we follow these two simple commands we will embody the actual spirit of the Law. No longer do we have to worry about eating something that will make us unclean. No longer do we have to worry about wearing cotton and wool together. We no longer labor under the burden of the Law. Jesus’ way is easy – love. Will the best for everyone, especially those who wish you harm. All we have to do is let go of those things like hate, jealousy, envy, pride, greed. We need to become like the Master – meek and humble of heart. All we have to do is put the other before self.

Wearing the yoke of self fulfillment is always a hard and burdensome task. You can never really achieve success. There is always more you can get; more you can make. There is always someone better looking to get under your control. The path of self fulfillment has no end.

But the yoke of selflessness is easy. You give what you have. No one can give what they don’t have. There is no greater satisfaction than giving your all for another, for their well being. There is no greater satisfaction than in loving sacrificially. This is the yoke Jesus asks us to wear.