Scripture Matthew 11:25-30
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.”
Meditation
Welcome! Welcome to the Down and Out Bar and Grille. Remember that TV show from the 80’s, about the bar where everybody knows your name? And they’re always glad you came?
Well, this is a lot like that, only much, much better.
Jesus pulls back the veil in our passage from Matthew’s Gospel this morning. Well, he pulls back the veil earlier in this chapter—the veil that hides some of his most understandable, most human, most normal behavior. We started after that rant, though. We started where he begins kind of a puzzling prayer.
I thank you, God, he says, that you have hidden all these things from the wise, and have revealed them to infants. Which leads to the very reasonable question…. which things, exactly? Which means, we have to go back to the rant, just a bit
Chapter 11 begins with Jesus being visited by some of John the Baptist’s followers. John is in prison now, and he’s staring down the barrel of Herod—King Herod’s—very strong frustration with him. And he wants to know… is Jesus, you know…you know. Is Jesus THE ONE?
Jesus’s answer is much along the lines of Guys. Guys. Have you been watching? Have you been listening?
And with a sigh, he says, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.” For once.
And then, after they leave, comes the rant, which goes something like this:
What did you think was going to happen when you started following John? What did you think you were going to find out there, in the wilderness? Someone who is blown about by the latest breeze? Not John. Someone who looks like King Herod in his fancy clothes? Not John. He’s a prophet! And no one likes what prophets have to say, because everyone feels the heat of judgment. No one’s perfect. No one measures up.
You didn’t like John because he fasted. You don’t like me and my guys because we like to throw back a few at the Down and Out Bar and Grille at the end of the day. What do you want from us? Deeds of power? Check! Sharing the promise of God? Check and double check. What do you want? What do you think we have been doing?
Jesus is angry. Jesus is frustrated. But then, Jesus prays. Got it! I need to remember this. This is so good. When Jesus is frustrated, he prays. I need to remember this.
When Jesus is frustrated, he prays.
He prays: God, thank you that people don’t understand. I’m good with that. Thank you that you and I are connected. Because that’s everything. And thank you that I can share that connection with others, that game-changer. That life-changer. Thank you…
And then it’s as if Jesus looks at the crowd again, and it’s as if his prayer has transformed him, has remade him, set re-start on this particular moment.
And he says, Come. Come to me. Come on in. This is the Down and Out Bar and Grille, after all, and you are welcome.
Are you frustrated? Come on in.
Are you downhearted? Pull up a stool. Are you at the end of the very last thread in your very last little piece of rope? Here, sit next to me.
Are you weary to the bone? Just plain tired? Yeah, of course. You can lean. Lean on me.
Jesus talks about a yoke—the kind that binds two animals together for work, for plowing. The kind that’s a heavy burden. The kind that attaches you to the hardest things in your life, and you are not in charge of when you get to take it off.
Here, he says, take on my yoke—here, I’ll help you put yours down. There is no need to carry that load all by yourself. When I share it with you—when you’re yoked to me—it will feel light as a feather.
And isn’t that the point of that famous bar? To be able to lay your burdens down for just a bit? To lighten your load by sharing what’s on your heart with people who know you, and love you? And… this is Jesus, he’s not going to scold you for having a beer—unless you know you shouldn’t.
So come, Jesus says. This is the place. And even if it’s your first time, we are really glad you came.
And there is someone here who has always known your name, since before the beginning of the hint of a promise of your most remote ancestor. Someone who has been waiting for you. Who longs to share your burdens. Who promises peace, and rest, and whole-hearted welcome, right into the heart of love.
Come. Come. Thanks be to God. Amen.