LIghtening the Load

Based on Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
First delivered July 5, 2020
Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr 

            We are living in a time that feels burdensome. The pandemic, the racial unrest, the upcoming presidential election: just one of these would be enough to weigh on us. But we are having to cope with all three at the same time. It is a lot to carry. You throw in a heavy dose of uncertainty about when the pandemic will end or what will happen in November only adds to the burden. The sweeping changes we are seeing in our communities, from the taking down of statues to the removal of the Confederate emblem on Mississippi’s flag, to efforts to reform policing, it’s for the good but it is also happening so fast. So much is happening. We all are coping with a good deal of stress. We are all carrying a heavy load.

            That’s why it is refreshing to hear these words from Jesus, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” What a blessing it is to go to God in prayer, to take these burdens we are carrying, and lay them at the feet of Jesus for a minute so that we can breathe, be still, rest in the presence of God. We can’t seem to leave our heavy burdens there at the feet of Jesus, of course. We lay them down only to be loaded up with more burden as we make our way through our days. Still, to have those moments when we are reminded of God’s love for us, that our lives are held in the mighty hand of God, this does give us some relief from the burdens of these difficult days.

            I have named some of the heavy burdens many of us are carrying: the pandemic, the racial unrest, national politics. Each of us may be carrying other heavy burdens besides these. But what were the burdens that were being carried in the days of Jesus? When Jesus speaks these words of comfort, inviting people with heavy burdens to come to him and receive rest, what were those burdens?

            I suppose people back then carried similar burdens that we sometime carry. Maybe it is the burden of financial stress. Maybe it is a family relationship that is falling apart. Maybe it is a chronic illness. But it could be that one of the burdens that Jesus had in mind when he offered these words of comfort was the weight of religious rules and obligations. Just one example can be found in the following passage, chapter 12:1-7. In this episode, Jesus and his disciples were walking along on the Sabbath day. While they walked along a grain field, the disciples started plucking off heads of grain to eat because they were hungry and wanted a snack. Some Pharisees, taking the role of the religious police, came down on Jesus to point out that his disciples were doing what was not lawful to do on the Sabbath. Really? What is the big deal? Of course, Jesus sets the Pharisees straight. But this is just one example of multiple religious rules and obligations that the people were expected to follow. And, as Matthew portrays them, the Pharisees are busy about policing the community to remind them of all they need to do to be faithful to the traditions handed down by their fathers. It was a lot. Every aspect of life was regulated in some way. It was a lot to keep up with if you were going to take these religious obligations seriously.

            For any of us who have been caught up in religious practices and traditions that included a lot of rules to follow, it can become the case that you get so caught up in keeping all those rules that you lose sight of the purpose of the whole thing. All these rules, laws, customs, obligations, that the Jews were expected to follow were meant to help shape a life that is righteous, a life that expresses love and devotion to God. But, instead of using all these rules and obligations as the means to express love to God, they become ends in themselves. It becomes just doing the things, checking the boxes, meeting the obligations without any thought or attention directed toward God. It just becomes a constant burden to keep up with all that. It may make a person wonder if there is a better way to be righteous and love God than keeping up with all these rules.

            Well, John and Jesus were proclaiming a different way of righteous living. It was a way that was not bound by rules and obligations. It was not about whether or not you were allowed to pick off heads of grain on the Sabbath for a snack. Instead, John offered a cleansing ritual as an act of repentance. Jesus taught a way of life that focused less on rules and obligations and more on humility, grace, forgiveness, hospitality, loving relationships. The way of Jesus is a way guided by the law of love for God and one another, not a long list of rules and obligations. It is about relationships, not rules.

            But the religious leaders and those who were invested in maintaining that way of life ignored or rejected John and Jesus. Using the metaphor of children playing in the streets, John played the flute but they did not dance, Jesus wailed and they did not mourn. The religious leaders were not open to hearing what John and Jesus were saying. They were too invested in the status quo. They were, after all, the ones who maintained, taught and enforced the religious system of rules and regulations. They were not interested in making a shift to a new way of living a righteous life of love for God and neighbor. They didn’t get what John and Jesus were saying. They were not open to hearing from John his announcement of the coming messiah. They were not willing to acknowledge Jesus as the messiah.           

            In response, Jesus offers a prayer of thanksgiving to God that God has hidden divine wisdom from the wise and intelligent and instead has revealed these things to little children. Those who were experts in the law and the tradition, those who had dedicated their life to live a righteous life and to teach others how to do the same, who had been trained and credentialed as masters of the traditions passed down from Moses, could not see the divine wisdom revealed through John and Jesus. But little children could see it. Better, those who were like little children were able to see and understand the wisdom that John and Jesus were revealing. Why is it that the wise and intelligent didn’t get the message of Jesus but those who were like little children did get the message?

            Stephen Mattson tackled this question by reflecting on what children are like. He suggests four characteristics of children that make them open to new ideas and ways of living. First, they ask questions. Especially “why” questions. Second, children are honest. They are not very good at self-censoring. Third, they are passionate. They are in tune with their feelings and often allow their feelings to influence their actions. They don’t separate their head from their heart very well. They don’t suppress their feelings. Finally, children are adventurous. Every day is a new adventure. They are regularly having new experiences, observing and soaking up everything. They don’t have a long-term perspective or a deep well of memories and experiences. They don’t have a “been there, done that” attitude. Every day is full of something new.

            But what about those wise and intelligent religious leaders? They didn’t need to ask a lot of questions because they thought they knew all the answers. They answer questions, they don’t ask them. They were hypocritical. Jesus pointed out on numerous occasions how the Pharisees were always laying religious burdens on the people but not practicing what they preached. They weren’t being honest with themselves. They may have been passionate, I will give them that. They were vigorous enforcers of the rules and could get pretty worked up when they saw people who were not conforming. They were certainly not very adventurous. They knew what was demanded and what needed to be done. There was no room for new ideas.

            Now, I wonder. What if those wise and intelligent ones who are burdened by all those religious rules and traditions let that go and instead approached Jesus as a little child? Would they not find their burden lightened? I read vs. 28, where Jesus says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens,” as an invitation to everyone, including those religious leaders who kept harping on all those rules and obligations. Jesus was extending to them an offer of grace, to lay down what was becoming an oppressive set of rules and obligations so that they could still pursue a righteous life but in a different way, a more liberated way, a way not marked by a bunch of rules but through relationships, fellowship, community. If they would be willing to set aside their rules and obligations and ask Jesus some questions, not to accuse him or trap him but to actually understand what he is trying to say; if they would be honest with themselves that the way they were living was not working for them; if they would connect their head with their heart; if they would be open to the adventure of living in new ways, would not this be a freer way to live?

            I wonder if the source of our heavy burdens is linked to the set of rules and habits we have placed on ourselves over the years which we try to keep carrying in a time of rapid change. We have our way of doing things, our routines, our plans and aspirations. And then this pandemic threw everything up in the air. And then what has been happening after the murder of George Floyd has triggered rapid changes and calls for action. Things have changed so much so quickly. Part of us want to get back to the way things were, the familiar, the normal. And that is not going to happen. We are burdened because we want to live life the way it used to be and can’t live that way now. It’s like wearing a heavy winter coat when all of a sudden it’s 100 degrees outside. I wonder if we have lost the capacity to approach life as little children.

            In this time where our world is being shaken, what would it be like to put down the burden of how we think things ought to be, the burden of what used to be normal, and instead approach this season of our nation’s history as a time to ask questions, be honest, acknowledge our feelings, and be adventurous? What would it be like to live our lives as if we were little children?

            This is certainly a time to ask questions. Just like children, we can be asking ourselves “why” questions. Why did so many people across the country take to the streets demanding police reforms or even the abolition of police as we know it? Why is it that some people are throwing a hissy fit over the requirement to wear a mask? Just for fun, later today you could take some time to write down as many “why” questions you can think of as you reflect on what is happening these days. It could be a long list.

            This is certainly a time to be honest with ourselves. When it comes to confronting systemic racism and the lingering effects of white supremacy, the demand for police reforms, addressing the inequities in our economy, what role the church should have in leading these calls for change, be honest. What do you really think? Instead of bowing to the pressure of groupthink, of saying what you think people want to hear, of agreeing in order to avoid conflict, can you be free enough to be honest at least with yourself what you really think about what is going on? I get it. You may not want to post your true thoughts on Facebook. But can you write them down in a journal or tell a trusted friend what you really think? This is a time for honest conversations, even if they are uncomfortable. From personal experience I can tell you there is a heavy weight on you when you don’t allow yourself to speak freely.

            This is certainly a time to acknowledge our feelings. Stuffing down our feelings only adds to the stress. There are no good or bad feelings. It is not helpful to judge our feelings. What we need to do is simply acknowledge what we are feeling in any given moment. Acknowledge you feel tired, or you feel happy, or you feel angry, or sad, or inspired, or hopeful, whatever it is. Maybe ask yourself why you feel that way. Ask God if there is something that God is trying to reveal with this feeling. We don’t need to have a temper tantrum like kids do. But we don’t need to deny what we are feeling either. It goes with that previous point. We need to be honest about how we are feeling. We may need to tell a trusted friend what we are feeling and to explore together what that means.

            This is certainly a time to approach life as an adventure. Change is happening so quickly. Honestly, none of us know for sure what will happen from day to day. Long term plans are made fully knowing that those plans may need to be thrown out the window. It’s sort of like what Jesus said in his sermon on the mount, in Matthew 6:34, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Can I get an “amen?” With Jesus by our side, we can take each day as it comes, open to what might happen next. In these times, daily life is certainly an adventure.

            So, would it be a lighter burden on us if we came to Jesus with our questions, honest about what we are thinking, honest about how we are feeling, open to whatever life is throwing at us at the moment? I can tell you that if we approached life with Jesus this way, it would not be without some anxiety. Asking serious “why” questions and not knowing the answer can be a little scary. There would be some grief. It is sad that the way things were isn’t coming back, that the familiar is gone. There would be some sacrifice. Adjusting to changing situations means letting go of some things we used to do, plans we had made, opinions we used to hold. There would be some pain. Change is not easy. Being confronted with ugly truths can hurt.

            But it could be a relief to not have to always know the right answers. There is some freedom by embracing the reality that everyone is trying to figure out how to do life in these crazy times. It would be a relief to not have to hold back the forces of change. No one can stop the waves from crashing on the beach no matter how hard you try. Rather than holding back the forces of change, why not ride the wave? Instead of trying to prop up the way things used to be when everything is changing right now, why not go for the ride? The wind of the Spirit is blowing powerfully through our land right now. I think it’s time for us to untie our boats from the dock, hoist our sails and allow the Spirit to take us where we need to go.