“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” With that bold claim, some men in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, expressed why they sought to establish a new nation on our shores. To secure these rights, they noted, governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
On that day, America became a unique country. Unlike other nations that are shaped by race, religion, language, ethnicity, or geography, America is shaped by a multitude of peoples from all corners of the world, drawn to a common allegiance to its principles, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and spelled out in its Constitution. As Americans, we bind ourselves to one another through the Constitution in order to “establish justice, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty for ourselves and our prosperity.”
A new order emerged that day, untested elsewhere until then, tested often since, yet still viable today. Film maker, Ken Burns, who has chronicled some of our country’s greatest heroes and achievements, once commented,
“Unlike every other country, which sees itself as an end unto itself, we see ourselves as evolving. We’re not satisfied. We’re not willing to rest on our laurels. We think we can get better. We think we’ve got someplace to go.”
Jesus proclaimed a new order as well when he said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” If this claim makes little sense to you, then place yourselves in the sandals of the ancient Jews who first heard those words and you would appreciate what Jesus is saying. They were burdened with countless, and in some cases, capricious regulations that had been legislated by the Pharisees, whom Jesus calls the wise and the learned for their interpretation of the Mosaic law. For example, their understanding of keeping holy the Sabbath literally allowed for no unnecessary work, and that even included swatting flies!
Rather than be saddled with the burdensome yoke of the law as interpreted by the Pharisees and Scribes, Jesus offers his yoke of faithful loving obedience to the will of the Father. If we would accept his yoke as he did, that is, the way to express our love for God, Jesus assures us that we would find rest. That makes sense when you see that his yoke is aimed at preventing sin in our lives and as we know from personal experience, the consequences of sin are heavy burdens that many of us carry through life.
Jesus invites us to believe that like him, we can be holy simply by following his example of prayer and taking on his yoke of love. As Paul observes, it is the spirit, not worldly pleasures, that ultimately gives us life.
Coming meekly on the scene as Zechariah had foretold, Jesus calls on his followers to be dependent on God, the Father, much like children are dependent on their parents. Because our society values independence so much, many of us like to think that we can succeed on our own. Unlike a child who doesn’t hesitate to ask for help, we tend to do things on our own. Such pride can drive us further from one another, and distance us from God. We do not have to face life’s problems alone. Jesus is willing to walk beside us and help us as we travel through life.
Still, you might wonder, how can the yoke of Jesus be easy and his burden light? Seeing the best in people, loving one’s enemies, turning the other cheek, going the extra mile, forgiving someone 70 times 7 times, doing good to someone who would harm us, and sharing what we have with the less fortunate are all easier said than done. Yet, if we compare the Christian lifestyle to others, then we can see the point Jesus is making. Would you rather live with a “dog eat dog” approach to life? Do you see that as being easier than working together for the common good?
Living with a clear moral vision and abiding by ethical
standards as one finds in the teachings of Christ is not easy but it is easier than living in a spiritual vacuum where everything is relative and values shift expediently. It may not be easy to carry his yoke with love as one’s guiding force in life but can we pretend that living with prejudice and hatred is easier?
The readings in recent weeks have challenged us to embrace our Christian faith as a total way of life, that is, to follow Jesus by living according to his principles of love, without compromise or double standard.
Deep down we all yearn for peace. Not only the peace that comes with the absence of war, but peace within our personal lives as well. True peace, that which only God can give us, grows in the hearts of believers through the power of the Spirit. That peace can be found when we follow Jesus’ example of prayer and love.
When the signers of the Declaration of Independence declared liberty from a bondage that had deprived the colonists of the respect due all peoples, they still acknowledged our country’s dependence on God as the source of the truths they upheld and the freedoms they sought. As disciples of Jesus, we should bind ourselves through our faith to remind others that the principles upon which this nation was founded, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, call on every one to respect all life from the unborn to the elderly. For the peace we seek cannot be ours unless we take on his yoke of humble, joyful service to one another.
The yoke of our lord is easy and his burden is light yet how often have we found ourselves burdened instead by the choice to sin? Humbly we seek forgiveness from our loving God, from whom all our blessings flow.
Lord Jesus, meek and humble savior, Lord have mercy. Christ Jesus, God’s love made flesh, Christ have mercy. Lord Jesus, protector of the lowly and the burdened, Lord have mercy.