PENTECOST XVIII
October 1, 2023
“Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest” “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22)
Earlier this week, I was tossing around some random thoughts in the hope of landing on a devotional theme, and who knows why, but the sweet old hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” came to mind. I assume I first learned it in Sunday School, as it seems it’s always been somewhere in my memory bank. It’s a little old-fashioned, which I think is part of its charm, and the message is clear and straightforward — that although we are anxious, friendless, or discouraged, we are never alone. We can cry and complain and worry and fret and be angry, but Jesus will hear us and offer reassurance and comfort. The promise is not that Jesus will make all the difficulties go away; the promise is that he will help us cope with and carry them.
This is not a long hymn — only three stanzas, and the third begins with a question: “Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?” When I hear this phrase, an image comes to mind of a person with an enormous (almost cartoonish) bag slung over his shoulder, bent almost double by the weight of it, struggling to just put one foot in front of the other.
This whole stanza is evidently inspired by Jesus’ statement to his disciples in Matthew 11:28-30: “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.”
Looking for the context in which Jesus spoke these kind and compassionate words, I went back several chapters in the Gospel of Matthew. Starting with Chapter 5, we read one after another of our Lord’s core teachings. Here are the Beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer, the Golden Rule, the parables of being “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world,” and accounts of numerous healings. This all took place while Jesus and the disciples were going throughout the countryside and villages, teaching, preaching, healing and caring for ever-growing crowds. It sounds both exhilarating and exhausting, and I wonder if the disciples and others close to Christ needed to hear this invitation as much as anyone else. It’s a reminder that Jesus’ teachings are freeing and liberating, not heavy and crushing, as we learn of God’s love and forgiveness for all people.
Read the words in the hymnal (742), listen to the choir, or sing along with “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” and it tells us clearly and simply, “Take it to the Lord in prayer.” It doesn’t say only if it’s super important, or if it’s of catastrophic proportions — whatever “it” is, if you’re hurting, worried, frightened, or uncertain, bring it to Jesus, and “you will find a solace there.” No greater gift can be given than this, that we are forgiven, redeemed and loved by God’s own son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Grateful beyond words for this gift of faithfulness,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers