PENTECOST VIII
July 31, 2022
“Come to Me . . . You Will Find Rest for Your Soul”
What is it about the hymns we’ve known for so long that we can’t recall actually learning them? We’ve heard and then sung them from an early age, and they’ve just penetrated our hearts and minds. Beloved Christmas carols come to mind, “Jesus Loves Me” takes us back to Sunday School, and others recall memorable times in our lives.
Whether a hymn has modern, easy to understand lyrics and a contemporary melody or an older style of phrasing and a traditional tune, we are blessed to have these rich and varied sources of music in our churches.
Two of my favorites are different in style and phrasing, yet carry the same message. “What a Friend we Have in Jesus” and “Borning Cry” both assure us that our Lord is always with us, throughout the changes and struggles of our lives, whether we are anxious, friendless, or discouraged. The promise is not that Jesus will make the challenges go away; the promise is that he will help us cope.
Stanza 3 of “What a Friend” begins with “Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?” creates an image of a person barely able to put one foot in front of the other as they carry a huge, heavy load. The thought of being so burdened with sorrow and hopelessness is heartbreaking, but we are well aware that there are people both around us and around the world who are struggling with overwhelming situations. “Borning Cry”takes us through our lives, as we hear that God was present when we drew our first breath, and as we grew, wandered off, matured, and aged, God was always with us. And of course, as earthly life ends, we hear of “one more surprise” — a promise of an eternal future in God’s presence.
Jesus’ words of promise and assurance come to us in the Gospel of Matthew: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
We may visualize a yoke as the heavy, restrictive means of controlling a team of oxen, but here we have a completely different use of this word. Jesus invites us to put on the yoke of his teaching, which is not burdensome, but light, as he came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. As we accept Christ as the fulfillment of God’s Law, we receive the gift of God’s will for us as his people.
Following our Lord in this conflict-filled world is not easy, and many have experienced persecution and hardship as they claim the name of Christian. But we have Jesus’ own words of assurance that when we are weary, discouraged, or frightened, we have a loving savior who will give us rest and refuge.
Grateful for the amazing friend we have in Jesus,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers