From Matthew 11:16-30

The background.  John the Baptist had sent some of his disciples to Jesus. Their assignment was to find out if Jesus was the promised Messiah, or if someone else was yet to come.  Jesus had assured his questioners that he was indeed the promised Messiah.  As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began addressing the crowd around him about John.

Jesus also seemed a little miffed that his hearers were so reluctant to receive the message.

I can imagine Jesus, hand on his chin, conceiving an illustration his listeners would understand.  “To what can I compare this generation?”  He went on to say that they were like children who couldn’t be pleased.  “Children sitting in the market-places calling out to others:  ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’  Translation, John the Baptist and Jesus had been rejected because they didn’t meet the expectations

“You’re just never happy,” Jesus continued, “John the Baptist came all serious and calling you to repentance. He ate a strict diet and did not drink.  And you folks? You said, ‘he has a demon.  Then I come along.  I ate, drank, and partied with you. (Meaning he didn’t abide by the strict rules of fasting established by the Pharisees.) I rubbed elbows with those to whom you wouldn’t give the time of day.  I hob-nobbed with tax collectors and those you would call sinners.  For that, you called me a glutton and a drunkard.  There’s just no pleasing you.  Say what you want.  Think as you will. But wisdom is proved right by her actions.” Some versions interpret it, “Wisdom is justified by her deeds.”   It’s another way of saying, you will know them by their fruits.  John may have been a strange sort of fellow, but many sought him out for baptism and repentance.  Jesus didn’t meet the Pharisee’s standards either.  But he brought healing, deliverance, and worked miracles.

Jesus continued.  “Oh, and by the way, those wicked cities of Tyre, Sidon, in who’s destruction you took so much delight.  If the miracles witnessed in Korazin and Bethsaida had been in evidence in those cities, they would have repented. And Capernaum, you can hop down from your self-made pedestal.  If Sodom had seen what you’ve seen, they would have turned from their wicked ways.  But know this, on the day of judgment, Sodom will have an easier time than you will.”  Those words would have deeply stung if you were a Capernaumite.

When folks have a genuinely close relationship with God, circumstances often automatically send them to prayer. That seems to be what happened here. Jesus’ frustration with and heartbreak over the attitude of those who had rejected him lead him to call on God.  So he prayed, thanking God that while divine truth is concealed from those who proclaim themselves as wise, those who humbly come before him find that truth.

Jesus does something here that could be an example to all of us.  If he was, as I suspect, irritated with the people he was talking to, he doesn’t dwell any longer than necessary on those negative feelings.  He turns his attention to those who do receive his message.

Phillippians 4, verses 8 and 9 states, “8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

So Jesus prays, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.  The little children about whom Jesus was speaking was those who receive him in simple faith.  “The wisdom of the cross,” Paul said, “is foolishness to those who are perishing…but the foolishness of God is wiser than men.”

After Jesus refocused his attention on those who do receive him; he offered them an invitation.  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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.

A yoke joins two oxen together as a team.  A well-made yoke makes the burden the oxen pull more manageable.  Jesus doesn’t suggest shedding a yoke altogether.  We are going to be yoked to something.  I told you last week; we are all going to be slaves to someone.  We’re going to be slaves to God, or we’ll be slaves to the devil.  It’s the same concept. You and I will share the yoke offered by the world, the flesh, and the devil, or we are going to share the yoke of Jesus.

We’re living in times full of tension, stress, worry, division, and animosity. As much as people claim to abhor hatred, there’s certainly a lot of it going around.

In addition to COVID 19 and racial issues, there are everyday trials like raising families, job security, financial, and health issues.

We need to be careful with our application here.  The burden referenced to in Matthew 11, is the burden of the pharisaical interpretation of the law.

Jesus can lighten the load of our financial, relationship, and employment issues.  After all, Peter says, “cast your burdens on Jesus because he cares for you.”

But the real lesson here is that peace comes from being yoked to Christ, and not to any worldly system.  There are changes that need to be made in our country.  Some of my own attitudes and feelings need to be adjusted.  But I struggle with exactly what needs to change.  And I have a very real concern the pendulum is swinging too far in the wrong direction.

As Christians, we need to make sure we are yoked to Jesus.  The world hasn’t changed since Jesus spoke to Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum.  Worldly views of justice, righteousness, and equality have created chaos.  They always will.  Being yoked to them will make burdens more difficult to carry.  Above ideology and national pride, we need to be yoked to Jesus.  He is the only effective yoke, because only he can carry the weight of our burdens.