Proper 9, Year A, 2014
St. George’s
"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
As many of you know, my husband and I recently returned from our honeymoon. One of the places we visited was Oxford, England. Daniel studied abroad there in college, and was excited to show me all of his favorite spots. We walked the famous streets, visited the various college campuses, and worshiped in 800 year-old churches, but what Daniel was most eager to show me was Hussain’s food truck. It only appeared at night, after most of the restaurants had closed, and was a popular late-night treat, especially for college students (I won’t say how often Daniel went while he was in school, but I will say that Hussain knew him on a first-name basis).
Now Daniel had been talking about Hussain’s famous chips & cheese (fries covered in finely grated cheese, brown sauce, and Hussain’s special sauce) he’d been talking about them since we got to England, so we were delighted to see him parked in town one of the nights we were there. As we approached the truck, a student was saying goodbye to Hussain. It was her last night in Oxford, and she wanted to come visit Hussain one last time before she flew back home. He showed her how to make his famous chips & cheese, asked his employee to take a picture of the two of them, and hugged her goodbye.
When it was our turn, Daniel ordered a special burger and 2 chips & cheese. While we were waiting for the food to be ready, Daniel told Hussain that he used to come there a lot when he had been in school, and he wanted to bring his wife to the food truck so she could taste the chips herself. Hussain congratulated us on our marriage and then proceeded to tell us about his life. He has been married for 26 years, and he and his wife have 6 kids. He studied computer engineering in college. He had then worked as a computer scientist for awhile, a job that paid really well. But Hussain wasn’t happy. He hated sitting inside at a desk all day, staring at a computer screen; he wanted to be able to move around freely, to talk with people face-to-face. So he quit his job with the great salary and started his food truck. He now smiles and jokes every day as he interacts with customers. Joy radiates from him and spreads to others; there is no question that Hussain is living into his calling.
"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
I grew up listening to this passage in the context of the evening service of Compline. I loved the romantic imagery of the weary traveler laying a troublesome burden at the foot of the cross, and then finally experiencing the relief and rest he or she so desperately desired.
But as I grew older, this passage began to frustrate me. I couldn’t figure out how exactly I should lay down my burdens. And it sure didn’t feel like Jesus’ yolk was easy or his burden light; being a Christian is hard work! Paul says as much in his letter to the Romans, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15).
At our core, we desire to be good and to follow God’s call. But we continually let our selfish desires get in the way. The things that we want are not necessarily things that lead us to Christ. Sometimes we have to give up things we want for the sake of being faithful, of following God’s call.
I think this is why Hussain’s story is so compelling. The Declaration of Independence states that we have the right to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” The problem is, we often equate happiness with possessing wealth. Our society encourages us to get a job that will make us lots of money so we can buy things which will make us happy. Money and things can make us happy for a time, but they are a shallow kind of happiness. The latest toys and gadgets are fun—believe me, I want them, too—but I think that kids would ultimately rather spend quality time with their parents.
I believe that God is calling us to a life of developing meaningful relationships with God and our neighbor. God’s currency is love, and the only way to increase it is, paradoxically, to give it away. To love God means to put God first, to make God the priority in our lives. This is not a one-time commitment, but something we have to consciously do every day.
It’s similar with loving our neighbor. God is not asking us to constantly put others’ needs in front of our own; that not only leads to burnout but ignores the fact that God wants us to be fulfilled, as well. But God is calling us to recognize that our happiness is tied in with the happiness of others. We cannot be completely happy when we know that other children of God suffering.
When Jesus is saying that our burden will be light, he is not telling us that the work of loving others will be easy. It can often be difficult, thankless work. But at the same time, how many of us, when we volunteer or do some kind of service work, feel that we get much more out of it than what we put in? That the work, though challenging, doesn’t feel much like work at all? We get more out of love than what we put in, and that’s why the burden is light.
"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
At its most basic level, Jesus’ message is simple: love God, love neighbor. All other things boil down to these two commandments. And when we feel overwhelmed, and like our burdens are too much to bear, know that we do not walk this road alone. Jesus is plowing along right beside us, sharing the yoke, helping to carry our burden.
image found here
Here is a beautiful song by my friend Ginny Wilder called Lay Your Baggage Down. It fit perfectly with today's reading.
