God sees everything (part 2)

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. (Matthew 11:28 -30)

Corona virus has affected us all in different ways, depending on our various circumstances and natures. Some of us will be carrying financial anxieties or even panic as a result of reductions in income or redundancy; some of us will be fearful of what the future will bring; some of us will be desperately sad about not being able to see friends and loved ones; some will be worried about their own health, both mental and physical, as well as the health of others around us; and some will simply be stoic, making the best that they can of the restrictions.

Many of want to know, what will Christmas look like? What will next year look like? We seek clarity, we want to be shown the way, but the one thing that seems certain is uncertainty. But whatever burdens you are carrying, God sees them, he knows your own personal issues and struggles and he sent Jesus to rescue us.  

When I prayed about what to put in this blog, God immediately gave me inspiration in Matthew 11:28-20. When Jesus said these words, he may well have been referring to the heavy weight of expectation that the Pharisees were putting on the people of Israel at the time. The Bible is relevant in every time, so perhaps we can draw present day parallels with the weight of the worldly anxieties and cares that many of us bear and feel trapped under. 

In this passage, Jesus invites us to exchange that worldly yoke for his own. Often young animals would be yoked to more experienced animals that would teach them how to do the work. So, we can understand this as Jesus wanting to teach us his way, his work. He says “Learn from me”. If we make the decision to consciously yoke ourselves to Jesus, then he will lead us, guide us and teach us. Our reliance on ourselves is gone, and we depend completely on Jesus. So that we’re not frightened by this prospect, Jesus also reveals his nature “I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” He is kind and loving and will not ask more of us than we can bear, but will give us peace in our innermost being.

This doesn’t mean that our daily anxieties will necessarily go away, but it may mean that we can have a different perspective on them.  Let’s do the best we can to take on Jesus’ yoke, to team up with him, be guided and taught by him and do the work he has for us.