God’s yoke

By: Fr. Dan De Los Angeles - 8 years ago

December 07, 2016 Wednesday, 2nd
Week of Advent
1st Reading: Is 40:25–31
Gospel: Mt. 11:28-30

Jesus said to the crowds: “Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is good and my burden is light.”

D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)

Jesus’ invitation to heavily- laden people to come to him touched the hearts of his listeners who were burdened by the onerous laws of religion. Judaism only received Ten Commandments from God through Moses. But the over-zealous desire for the observance of these commandments led to so many enabling rules to observe. The Rabbis themselves recognized how burdensome the Law had become when they called the Law of Moses “The Yoke of Torah”.

Jesus offered them something less burdensome: the law of love. But although this law is reduced to the essentials, it is no less burdensome. In the last analysis it is even more burdensome because it buries followers deep into the practice of faith. It enjoins followers to go deeper than avoiding murder by not getting angry with anyone; deeper than avoiding adultery by not looking lustfully at a woman (Matt. 5:21). It even requires followers to love their enemies!

In what sense then is Jesus’ commandment of love lighter than the laws the Jews were heavily saddled with? “Learn from me”, Jesus said, “for I am gentle and humble of heart”. Humility makes the difference. Proud people have many wounds to protect, many scars to hide and many vulnerabilities to defend. They are very sensitive. That’s why they have many unnecessary sufferings. Any slight inconvenience can be too heavy for the proud. Humble people fear no fall because they are already on the ground; they fear no humiliation because they are already “reduced to the lowest terms”. The concerns of humble people are reduced to the essentials. They have no time to sulk over trivial matters. Moreover, they have God’s grace to rely on, having no personal strength to boast about.

We too are laboring under different yokes too heavy for us to carry. Let us learn humility from Jesus in order to survive. The following words arranged alphabetically form a paragraph worth reflecting upon. “Arrogant believers callously denounce every failure. Go humble instead. Jesus knows. Life’s misfortunes never outdo Providence. Quit rejecting spirituality. Take up very willingly Xst’s yoke…” You can supply the missing letter z with your zeal in responding to Christ’s call to take up his yoke of love. -(Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM., MAPM., MMExM., REB., Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com.
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