The Rev. Robert Lundquist VII after Pentecost 7/3/05 St Paul’s, Ft Collins

Matthew 11:25-30 - OnLine Text -

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me… For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The words of Jesus are familiar to many of us. But they beg the question – Why take on any yoke? It sounds pretty restricting, a yoke. One thinks of oxen yoked together and wonders, why take on a yoke, even if it is easy and light? Who would do so? Only anyone who understands that we all wear a yoke, whether we realize it or not. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of whose yoke.

Singer and songwriter Bob Dylan has been called the poet of my Baby Boomer generation. In 1979 Dylan recorded a song that addresses the matter of wearing a yoke:

You may be an ambassador to England or France,

You may like to gamble, you might like to dance.

You may be the heavyweight champion of the world,

You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls.

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed,

You’re gonna have to serve somebody.

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord,

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

“Take my yoke upon you…

Think of those oxen – the yoke distributes the weight of the load, it allows a load to be shared. I didn’t realize that each yoke was crafted individually, custom-made and unique to each beast. A yoke enables the heaviest burden to be borne. A yoke enables restraint & discipline. Life is not easy, says Jesus, but his yoke gives rest. This is the paradox – accepting God’s perfect and freely-given love is the “service of perfect freedom.” [Book of Common Prayer, p. 57, ACollect for Peace]

You may be a state trooper; you might be a young Turk,

You may be the head of some big TV network,

You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame,

You may be living in another country under another name.

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed,

You’re gonna have to serve somebody.

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord,

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

The late Christian theologian Henri Nouwen once said that the Gospel could be summarized in 2 words: “Come close.” “Come close,” says God, through all the prophets and stories and teaching and salvation history, up to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. “Come to me, all you who are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Just a few weeks ago we heard Jesus’ instructions to the disciples, of how the harvest was great but the workers were few. “Help these people come close to God,” Jesus seems to say. “Don’t keep your distance from God, don’t be reticent – become like trusting children. Come close.”

Is that all? What’s the catch? It seems too easy, too simple… Perhaps we are more comfortable with the ways of the world, would be less suspicious if the comfortable words went something like:

Come to me, all you who are

· Deserving

· Right with God

· Bright and understanding

· Of good moral fiber

· Setting good examples

· Pious and religious

· Worldly successes.

But NO, there are no restrictions. The only requirement is to be weary and heavy-laden, and desiring to come close and lay down your burden. This is because God is RADICALLY INCLUSIVE. “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened.” Because frankly no one else needs to come to Jesus. I suspect there is no one here who has no extra baggage, who is not weary of the ways of the world. The folks who are not weary and burdened have no need of God, or church.

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride,

You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side,

You may be working in a barbershop; you may know how to cut hair,

You may be somebody’s mistress, may be somebody’s heir,

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed,

You’re gonna have to serve somebody.

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord,

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

“You have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent, and have revealed them to infants…” I believe Jesus’ message here is, “Don’t overthink it!” We who love to intellectualize the spiritual miss the simplicity – “Come close, find rest.” True story – back in 1982 there was a family that was looking for rest, for a retreat from the world and the influence of society. They packed up what they owned and picked the most out-of-the way place they could find. They ended up in the Falkland Islands just days before the armed conflict between Argentina and Great Britain began. Don’t overthink it – simply come close and find rest.

“Come to me, all you who are burdened…” There are no questions, no caveats in Jesus’ invitation. No one else in history has ever offered such an open door. No leaders, no philosophies, no schools or corporations, no clubs or political parties – none have ever made such a blanket invitation as “Come to me, all who are burdened…” St Bernard of Clairvaux put it this way:

“O blessed burden that makes all burdens light!

O blessed yoke that bears the bearer up!”

“My yoke, it’s easy,” says Jesus. “My burden, it’s light.” So when you choose, choose wisely. Because

You might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk,

You might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk.

You might like to eat caviar; you might like to eat bread,

You may be slipping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed,

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed,

You’re gonna have to serve somebody.

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord,

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

So come close. Give up your burdens, give up your worries, give up your anxieties. Give up anything and everything that keeps you from God. Lay it down! And take upon you the yoke that is “lined with love.”

AMEN.

A Parish For All People!