Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

"But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." 

At that time Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. "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."

Faith is a great comfort. In times of distress we draw strength from favourite verses such as ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’. In our reading today we have Jesus saying ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’ I have remembered this verse on countless occasions. It has a lovely ‘snuggling’ feel to it. If you particularly need comfort at the moment, then read the verse and enjoy. If, on the other hand, you are able to deal with a bit more then let’s have a look at the rest of the passage. 

Our ‘comfort verse’ comes towards the end of a chapter in which Jesus has poured out his frustration about the stifling effects of bad religion. He has had to deal with the criticism of those who preferred John the Baptist’s austere style of faith, and he is so sad about those who just would not respond to his message. The ‘comfort verse’ is offered to those who feel over-burdened by a restrictive religion that tended to squeeze every ounce of joy out of life. In contrast Jesus offers freedom, creativity, joy and even the prospect of happiness. However, this wonderful way of life is not a soft option and it requires its own sense of discipline. 

In the illustration he gives Jesus has oxen in mind with the ‘yoke’, the wooden double harness that kept the oxen in step with each other. Jesus invites us to be harnessed up to him because the way of peace and joy lies in being in step with him. Another fitting illustration would be for us to think of tied to Jesus in a three legged race. At a standstill we see ourselves standing shoulder to shoulder with Jesus with arms across each other’s shoulders. It’s a pose that many friends would enjoy as they take a selfie photo. ‘Look! Jesus and me!’ Very enjoyable. Very comforting. But what next? What happens when we want to/need to move on? We all know what happens when in a three-legged race the two are not in sync with one another. On the other hand, the two who have worked out what to do inspire the crowd’s admiration! 

Can you conjure up a vision of yourself and Jesus romping away in a three legged race! What joy! What fun! What hard work! What a team! What a life!