Mt 11:25-30
Dear Friends,In today’s gospel passage, we have an attractive invitation to be set free of our burdens.
Jesus presents himself as one who truly knows the Father and his compassionate and saving will. We are invited to come to Jesus free of the burdens of the law. We are invited into the sea of mercy and love that brings true rest and freedom. This rest Jesus promises is not just the lack of work and stress. The “rest” of the Bible is rooted in God’s day of rest on the seventh day of creation, the Sabbath. This is the fullness of life in the Kingdom.
Jesus says “come to me.” Mt 11:28. This means he is the source of the full revelation of the Father. We are to take his yoke, a yoke rooted in love not obligation to the intricacies, and even deception, of a legal system gone astray. Jesus is inviting us to embrace him and his message of love. He calls us to the depths of integrity in the heart. He calls us to authenticity with all persons. He calls us to cast off the burden of the “dos and don’ts” and to make our way into freedom and love.
Jesus shows us in this invitation that there is another way to live. In Jesus’ way, we are engulfed in a love that enlightens us with the wisdom to see Jesus’ way. The loss of self-interest, the acceptance of sacrifice and service, the rejection of security rooted in excessive possessions, all lead to finding rest for our souls. “Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.” Mt 11:30. Jesus calls us to a love of God and neighbor that promises joy and peace now and everlasting life in the future.
Love is the driving force behind Jesus’ transforming promise to ease the burden of life. We need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus because he holds the seeds of wisdom leading us into the fullness of the Father’s Kingdom.
