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Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30
At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
“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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Corrie ten Boom was a Christian who hid Jews in her Dutch home during World War Two and funneled hundreds of them to safety. Eventually, she was caught and sent to a concentration camp, where her father and sister died in front of her.
After the War, Corrie traveled to different churches in over 60 countries speaking about the need for forgiveness… Little did she realize just how personal that need would be.
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After one of her talks in a church in Munich, Germany, a man came up to her, asking for her forgiveness. He didn’t know who she was, only that she was a survivor of the war.
But Corrie ten Boom knew exactly who that man was – a prison guard who repeatedly tortured her, and murdered her sister. Upon seeing his face, she was paralyzed with fear and hatred.
Surprisingly, the man said to her, “I’ve become a Christian! I know I did some horrible things, but I’ve received God’s forgiveness. And now I’d like to ask you, as a victim of the war, will you forgive me?”
Corrie remembered thinking, “I could only hate him.”
Suddenly, God’s Spirit came rushing through her body like a blazing fire, compelling her to cry out, “Thank you, Father, that your love is stronger than my hatred and unforgiveness!”
Looking at the changed man, she said, “Brother, give me your hand.” And she embraced him.
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While such radical and immediate experiences of divine grace are uncommon, Corrie ten Boom reminds us that there are certain experiences in life – such as memories of war, betrayal, health scares, or sudden loss – that seem impossible for us to overcome.
We need help. And who better than the Lord himself? “Come to me, all of you who labor and are heavy burdened,” Jesus says, “and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
What kind of yoke was the Lord imagining?
In the ancient world, there were two different kinds. One yoke was made for a single person, which would’ve been placed on their shoulders. Think of someone balancing two buckets of water, one on either side of their body.
Then there was a shared yoke, which was used by animals plowing fields. Farmers often paired a stronger, more seasoned ox with a younger one to teach the young one how to plow. The strength of the older ox allowed the younger one time to grow and develop.
This is what Jesus is describing when inviting us to yoke ourselves with him. He is the experienced ox who never tires, despite the distance, the weight, the rocky soil, and the heat.
Notice, Jesus is not saying that he will give us exactly what we want. Logically, if someone were carrying a heavy burden – either on their shoulders or, perhaps worse, in their hearts – then what they would want more than anything would be to put it down.
But the Lord isn’t offering such an escape, nor is he promising to prevent weight from being added. Rather, he encourages us to make room for two. To walk in tandem. To sync our steps with his so that we are not overcome, despite the challenges we face.
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Imagine being yoked with another person, or tied together in a three legged race. What would happen when you begin moving in tandem? You’d strike up a conversation, likely about how to navigate the road ahead.
Similarly, what happens when we yoke ourselves to Jesus?
A conversation about life begins.
Slowly, we learn the art of prayer as wisdom takes root in our hearts. Our strength blossoms. Light invades the darkness. The heat becomes less oppressive. Love casts out fear. Peace begins to settle as the weight shifts from our shoulders onto his.
Thus, the most fruitful and productive form of labor in life is, ironically enough, prayer.
Sitting still. Soaking in the silence. Releasing our fear, grief, and desires into Christ’s sacred hands as we plow the fields of life in tandem, affording our souls much needed rest.
As the Psalmist proclaims, “In God alone be at rest my soul. My help comes from him. God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never fail.”
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Like Corrie ten Boom, who found forgiving that soldier for his intimate atrocities against her and her family an impossible task on her own, what seems impossible to accept or endure in my own life? Where do I need Jesus?
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The Lord may not untether us from such burdens. But he will lead us through through them. As we begin moving in tandem, a sacred conversation begins. One that will slowly and mysteriously make our yoke easy and our burdens light.
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Image credits: (1) Missiodeicatholic.org, Mario Lang (2) Longmont Times-Call (3) Instagram