Nehemiah 8: 9-12; Matt. 11: 25-30
Years ago, my friends and I decided to go horseback riding. We thought, as Kentuckians, this would be a wonderful thing given the horse industry association with the state. It was, by some measure, one of the most abjectly awful experiences of all of our lives. The trek in the mountains was steep and rocky meaning we had to walk half of it and guide the horses instead of riding. It was hot. It was long. One horse got annoyed and kept heaving loudly.
And one of my friends got a particularly untrained horse. When we got within a half mile of the stables, the horse decided to unburden himself and get home. He ran at full gallop to the barn. My friend lost his camera, hat, wallet, and the horse nearly unburdened himself of my friend altogether. There are times in life where we are the burden. There are times in life where we become weighed down by burdens. What do we have weighing on us, holding us down, stressing us, worrying us, burdening us with pain and trouble?
The people of Jesus’s day were no strangers to being burdened. Jesus references the burdens the pharisees placed on people’s ability to be present with God. A life of faith was a life of rules and constant mistakes. There was a barrier with direct communication with God. The religious leaders had the power not only over your worship but to also punish you up to and including death for violating their religious rules. When Jesus speaks of an easy burden, it’s a slap in the face to the religious rulers. Not only is Jesus saying he lessens the burden of faith and life because Jesus doesn’t condemn or chastise; he also adds that he is gentle and humble. The implication is that the religious leaders are arrogant and proud.
Jesus gives a “yoke” that is easy. Years ago, I had someone ask whether that meant the yellow inside of the egg. A yoke was the harness used on an animal to pull the plow in the garden. Over the years, it has become another way to talk about oppression. We say “under the yoke of slavery,” or “under the yoke of tyranny.” It was a burden on the animal to hold and pull for most of the day. For us, yoke can be considered God’s will, God’s plan for us. Instead of a heavy burden that weighs us down, oppresses us, or causes more suffering, God’s yoke is easy. God’s yoke, God’s will, is something holy, not heavy. Jesus says that the yoke of faith is easy to bear, and the burden is light. Indeed, in following God, we have done all we need to do because God will give strength for the rest.
We see this echoed in the Nehemiah lesson. This was after the people had returned to their home from their captivity in Babylon. They had forgotten many of their laws and traditions. This was the point where Nehemiah reads the law and re-instructs the people in how to live rightly. Because they were so in the wrong, the people weep in fear and sadness. They feel burdened, worried, and like failures. But Nehemiah tells them that this is a day of celebration, of feasting, and not of sorrow. They have heard God’s words and understood them. They again had this right relationship with God. We cannot burden ourselves by neglecting our spiritual well-being in this life.
What we see from Nehemiah is that God is a God of restoration. God didn’t want to punish, to subjugate, to oppress the people. God wanted to restore and lift them up. It was not a time to mourn their failures and be burdened by what they have done wrong. It was a time to celebrate, for restoration, and to remember that the joy of the Lord is their strength.
What we must remember is that our walk of faith is not a calling or invitation to a life of ease. Jesus delivers us from the oppression of human action, not all struggle in life. We do not have to worry about all the evil, the cruelty, the punishments, and control of the religious leaders of Jesus’s day. That behavior may still exist. Heaven knows you’ve met them in some churches. But it doesn’t affect our ability to have a relationship with God. Humans can create burdens, messes, trials, and troubles all day. None of that needs affect your life of faith unless you let it. Life may not be easy, but life is best lived with Jesus at our side.
Some of us live very burdened lives, and those cause us to worry day in and day out. What things do we carry around that still bring us guilt even from 20, 30, or more years ago? Some of us still have old wounds that cause pain and hurt in our lives. Some of us are very fearful but we cover it over well. Some of us are just plain tired, but we dare not speak of it. I was watching a video the other day of this table in someone’s living room. A family got home from a trip, and they dropped one suitcase on it, then another, and finally, after third big duffle bag, the table collapsed. How many of us are that close to giving out from the stresses and burdens we carry on a daily basis like giant bags on our backs?
In some ways, the church is also exhausted. I saw a study the other day that said around 48% of Gen Z won’t go to church because of so many churches’ vocal support of a particular politician. Another study showed how different demographics struggle with church because they, “don’t identify with that particular church’s political stances on issues.” And I have a question. Why do churches have political stances?
A House of God stands and speaks what is faithful, truthful, and biblically grounded. If a church is preaching politics, it has lost its way. But also, if church members find a truthful word politically offensive, that’s a faith problem within themselves. The job of the church is to grow a life of faith and speak the truth of what Jesus said to us. Because when we focus on what Jesus said to the church, we can remember that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. What we have to ask ourselves on a daily basis is this: do we consume more political news or more words of faith and Christ on a daily basis? One is a burden, the other reminds us that the joy of the Lord is our strength.
True Sabbath, true rest is found in Jesus. The demands of humans placed in charge of things will weigh us down. Just like the table piled with suitcases, we may collapse under the weight. If we listen to other people instead of Jesus, or if we politicize all of life, we will drive ourselves crazy. It’s a burden we don’t have to bear. We are called to follow Jesus, love as Jesus loved, and speak the truth we find in God’s word to us. In doing these things, we find joy instead of worry, dread, fear, guilt, anger, or any other negative and burdensome emotions in life.
A writer discussing the Nehemiah passage penned a very wise observation. The whole job of the law is to accuse. It’s intended to point out faults, shortcomings, and bring guilt and punishment to those who stand in violation. But God restores, redeems, gives freedom, and offers love and joy. We are invited to do the same when we come into a life of faith.
The church has a mission in this world. And if almost half of a young generation don’t trust or want to come to church, we are failing. And perhaps that is a burden we need to sit with for a minute. But if we stand on redeeming, restoring love of Jesus, and teach God’s truth of what it means to live in a life of grace following the one who loved so much that it cost him his very life, then we can remove even that burden. And we can show younger generations how to be filled with the Spirit of God instead of doubts and burdens.
Years ago, my friends and I went horseback riding. The experience was, shall we say, a worrisome burden? One of my friends was nearly chucked off his horse as the horse galloped to the stables for food and to be home and at rest. Friends, we need to be like the horse, running to God like the horse getting to the stable home. What we cannot be is the rider, the burden, that the horse was trying to toss. May we never be the burden in life. May we also never be overwhelmed by our burdens when God is waiting with love and joy for us. But most of all, may we rest our lives in Jesus, who gives peace and joy, for it is the joy of the Lord that is our strength.
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