Sunday, July 5, 2020

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Revised Common Lectionary passages for the Lord’s Day are:

First Reading: Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
Psalm 45:10-17  Alternate: Song of Solomon 2:8-13
Second Reading: Romans 7:15-25a
Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

The liturgical color for the day is: Green

The crux of the matter in the New Testament lesson has to do with the hearers of Jesus – are they wise?  And wisdom always has more to do with discernment than intellect.  Are they wise enough to heed the message?  (Things haven’t changed much.  Are we wise enough to discern the truth when we hear it?)

In the gospel lesson, the evidence testifies otherwise.  They did not pay attention to John the Baptizer who came calling people to repentance and to the prepare the way for God.

Then the reality that “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.”

Jesus ministry was about proclaiming the joy of God’s sovereign realm—and it goes unheeded.  They miss the reality of the presence of God as it is breaking and bursting into their reality. 

Then there is this invitation of Jesus to take up his yoke, “for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  Will they (will we) be wise enough to heed this invitation.

But a yoke—a yoke “easy”—how can that possibly be?  It has less to do with easy and more to do with “fitting.”  The way to read this is that the yoke of Christ is well fitting—it makes the burden of life easier. 

The yoke is a yoke to Christ. We do not have to go it alone.  Stop going it alone!  Be fitted to Christ.

It is his strength, his leadership, and his balance that gives us the ability to rise up, step forward, and keep going.

You’ve seen the advertisements and proclamations during this pandemic, “We’re in this together.”  And, we are.  Yet, the Living Christ is more than just “in this” with us.  The Living Christ is the right fit for us.  With Christ the yoke is easy, and the burden is light.

Be fitted with Christ and hear it at the Table of Grace, hear it in the silent reflection, hear it when you are tired and worn out, and hear it again—that great invitation for us: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Rev. Dr. Daris Bultena
General Presbyter and Stated Clerk