23 August 2014 - heavy or light

They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.

Contrast them with Jesus.  His yoke is easy and his burden is light.  He doesn't do any of this to be seen or to be impressive.  He is meek and humble of heart.  He accepts shame and suffering even though he is in the form of God.  Even though he has more right to be called Rabbi then anyone, more right to seats of honor, more right to distinguished tassels and phylacteries, he empties himself and is born in the likeness of man.  He lays his glory aside for our sake.

The Pharisees can tell us what to do, but they do not lift a finger to help us. They might know morality, but they have no grace to empower it.  And without that we flounder.  This burden simply crushes us.

What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate.  (cf. Rom. 7:15)

So does it help when the Pharisees tells us what we should do?

Well, then, are we better off? Not entirely, for we have already brought the charge against Jews and Greeks alike that they are all under the domination of sin (cf. Rom. 3:29).

Only Jesus helps us to bear the yoke.  In fact, he bears all the weight himself.  This weight manifests as his cross.  We do not even contribute at first.  Yet like Simon of Cyrene we are invited to help, to share the yoke, to walk with Jesus under it.  Not having a yoke and burden is not an option.  But we do get to choose the one we want.  We find that when we choose the one which Jesus offers we also find rest for ourselves.  We find that his yoke is easy and his burden is light.  He only shares it because to share it is for our good.  We can even say:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church (cf. Col. 1:24).

In his presence, the momentary affliction is revealed as weightless compared to the eternal weight of glory (cf. 2 Cor 4:17).

When his glory dwells in our land, when his presence dwells in our hearts, we experience kindness and truth meeting.  We experience justice and peace kissing.  His grace makes truth spring from the earth.  His grace makes justice look down from heaven.  He himself gives all the benefits for which we long.

We are called to invite people to share his yoke.  We do this, not for our own pride, but so that they can find rest.  We don't just list rules like the Pharisees, even though the rules may be correct.  We invite people to the presence that sets free.  He himself will lead us all in the right way.  He himself will give us the power to walk in it.

And I saw that the temple was filled with the glory of the LORD.
Then I heard someone speaking to me from the temple,
while the man stood beside me.
The voice said to me: 
Son of man, this is where my throne shall be,
this is where I will set the soles of my feet;
here I will dwell among the children of Israel forever.