14th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Zech 9: 9-10; Romans 8: 9, 11-13; Mt 11: 25-30
Dc. Larry Brockman
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy”! How many of you remember that late 80’s song by Bobby McFerrin. Don’t Worry, Be Happy, I am not going to sing it for you! It has had 26 million views on You Tube, for those of you who are interested.
The first time I heard that song, I reacted to it with cynicism. How can we just let unsettling things happen all around us, and still go away not worrying and being happy? The lyrics of the song, for example, speak of a man whose bed was stolen and whose landlord was evicting him. And yet he sings: “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” over and over.
But you know what, that is exactly what Jesus is asking us to do in today’s Gospel. The Gospel can be summed up: Don’t worry, be happy as long as you trust in me, and live life accordingly.”
Perhaps a little bit of background on the context of today’s Gospel, would help. Jesus had just been rejected by the learned Pharisees of Jewish Society. He had been talking about knowing God; experiencing God through His forgiveness and Love; and having a relationship with God. The Pharisees had been talking about knowing about God and His rules, the law of Moses. The Pharisees rejected Jesus teaching because he didn’t preach about the law; but rather about knowing God. But the Pharisees didn’t really know God because they had not experienced Him. They were trying to get to God by keeping all the rules. They were seeking God with their heads not their hearts. And so, they were missing experiences and relationships and communion with God.
Jesus message was only heard by those who were seeking God with their hearts. These were people who were not so hung up with the details of the law; rather they took the time to experience life and listen for God’s voice. They were people who didn’t think so much about God as they felt for Him and His presence in their lives. Children are like that; and that’s why Jesus said that we need the heart of a child to recognize Him.
Now Zechariah predicts the coming of the Messiah in the first reading. Notice that the savior is described as meek; and riding on an ass. Royalty commonly travelled on an ass or a colt or the foal of an ass. Zechariah describes his royal savior as meek. In other words, the savior is humble. And indeed, Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, riding into Jerusalem on the foal of an ass. But Jesus was also meek and humble of heart, as he describes himself this morning. Knowing that he was the Son of God, he nevertheless humbled himself by seeking and then doing God’s will for him. Jesus had taken the time, had gone out into the desert, and had listened to God. And so, when he returned, he took up his yoke, meaning the mission His Father had for him, and bore it with love. Nothing else mattered in the clutter of his world. It wasn’t an easy mission because it involved sacrifice and pain. But it was easy in the sense that He always knew He was in harmony with the Father and His will.
Jesus is advising us to do the same this morning. Jesus says that all who are weary of heavy burdens should come to him, for he will give you rest; and that they should take on his yoke, because “For my yoke is easy, and my burden light”. Jesus was referring to the onerous burden that the 565 + rules of the Mosaic Law, particularly as amplified and taught by the Pharisees, placed on the Jewish people.
Now I ask you, is it any different today? What a heavy burden society place on us today. We work, we are taxed, we have mortgages, cars, boats, activities, social obligations, family obligations, sports, and on and on; And most of it has to do with “doing the right thing by our families”. On top of that, we try to observe all the rules and regulations of our Faith. Our burdens are heavy. But just like the Pharisees and those who accepted their burden, we don’t really get to know God in all of that.
And So, Jesus words apply to us today as well. First, we need to be meek and humble of heart. That will eliminate a lot of the burdens. We don’t have to compete with the Joneses. We don’t have to match society’s expectations of the perfect family. But, with true humility and meekness, we do need to hear God’s voice amongst all the thunder. God’s voice begins with his Word and the scriptures; but it doesn’t end there. Rather, God’s voice is where the scriptures lead us, and God’s voice tells us who we really are and what is really important.
First and foremost, a relationship with Jesus is important and then, relationships with our loved ones. Love itself is important.
When Jesus says the yoke is easy, he means it is easy mentally more than anything else because if we are at peace with God and ourselves, then it will be easy to accept and we will be happy. And when he says the burden will be light, he doesn’t necessarily mean literally. Rather, He means light in the sense of whether it is bearable. Even the heaviest of burdens are bearable if we are happy that they are the right thing for us to do.
And so we come to understand that as Christians, we really can sing: “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”.
Tags: Accepting God in our hearts; Trusting God; Law vs. Knowing God