Pastor's Letter 20230709 - 09 July 2023 - The Coming of God's Kingdom

Father Michael · July 8, 2023

July 9^th, 2023

14^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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“Come to Me, all you who labor, and I will give you rest.”

A Message from Father ^†Michael

Today’s Theme: “The Coming of God’s Kingdom”

Reflections on Today’s Scripture

(Zechariah 9:9-10) Because the Messianic King came in peace, He was unrecognized; because He did not pillage and plunder, His voice went unheard. He is portrayed, not as a proud warrior, but as a humble, gentle champion of peace for all people.

Judah had been without a king for almost 300 years (ca. 520 B.C.) The reconstruction of the temple had not succeeded in rebuilding the broken spirit of the people. Alexander the Great’s conquering armies made the future seem tenuous. For whatever reason, Zechariah’s hopes seemed directed not toward a new era for his people, but to a final era of judgment for all peoples, to be ushered in by the Messiah.

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(Romans 8;9-13) ^†Paul contrasts life “in the Spirit,” with life “in the flesh.” The Spirit of Jesus gave rest, freedom and a share in His eternal Kingship to the people.

In Romans 8, ^†Paul presents justification*, to those who had grown weary and disillusioned with the technicians of the Law, as a more positive mode of expression; speaking of that, for which the Christian is freed, namely, a life in God. (*In Ch. 5...it was liberation from the wrath of God; In Ch. 6…it was redemption from the reign of sin; In Ch. 7…it was deliverance from the burden of the Law. In each case, the saving activity freed the believer from sin, death and the law.)

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(Matthew 11:37-42 Jesus revealed the Father to those who are “little,” and lightens the burdens of those who are “humble.” The Good News finds a home in those seeking true revelation, rest and peace.

When He calls upon His Father in an intimate way, Jesus echoes, in His own Person, the personification of wisdom, the reflection of eternal light and the image of God’s goodness. This implied that traditional wisdom, learning and the Law were obstacles to grasping the wisdom of His message. Those steeped in the traditions of the Law found it more difficult to open themselves to His words, so “letter-perfect” was their observance of it. The knowledge of God, via Jesus Christ, and the loving relationship which sprang from that acceptance, serves to lighten one’s “burdens.”

Strength and Weakness

Last week, I spoke about our “crosses,” which Jesus told us we must bear. This week, we consider Jesus’ invitation to bring Him “our burdens.” Even though we are to strive to overcome whatever difficulties we face, we don’t have to do it without His help.

For most people, life is full of challenges, some of which prevent them from achieving “full potential.” We sometimes face worries, about ourselves, our families, the state of the world, with its myriad political and social pressures. Some of us labor under untoward responsibilities—some placed there by choice, and some heaped upon us through no fault of our own. Health concerns can be sources of stress, and in some cases, debilitating to the point that we cannot function, without outside help. Many people find personal relationships fraught with issues of mistrust, hurt, bitterness and disappointment. In our ever-advancing, technical society, there are those that have menial jobs, are poorly paid and generally taken for granted. They are valued, not for themselves, but only noticed when “they are missing!”

It makes a world of difference when people are recognized, and treated with kindness and respect. How a little sensitivity, or a word of appreciation helps to make a “heavy burden” light!

In Jesus’ day, the Scribes and Pharisees lived a privileged existence, with no appreciation of what life was like outside their company. With their emphasis on “exact observance of the Law,” and their multiple rules and regulations, they placed impossible burdens on the people, to whom they reluctantly “ministered.” They had little sympathy for those who found their burdens “too much to bear.”

Jesus empathized with common people, having worked as a laborer during His early years in Nazareth. Although the New Testament is quiet about the details of those days, we can assume, with confidence, that He lived like many a young Jewish person of His day. He would have been taught Hebrew, and learned the expectations of the Synagogue, from His parents, Mary and Joseph; and most likely learned a trade—carpentry—from His father. He knew firsthand the struggles, difficulties and frustrations of the “working man.” He would have been acutely aware of the “burdens” they had to bear.

Consequently, He had compassion for them, and wanted to ease their burdens. People came to him from all quarters, and found their problems “lightened,” sometimes by His mere presence, alone.

He said, “Come unto Me, all you who are burdened, and I will give you rest…for My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Only love would account for His ability to do that. Only love can make a heavy burden seem light. We know that one who is deprived of food and water sometimes can barely survive to the end of the day. But a mother, who gives up food so her children can eat, hardly notices the deprivation.

Then too, some of our burdens may be “baggage,” which we could, and should let go. There is a Zen story about an old man, going on a spiritual journey with a heavy sack on his back. On his deathbed, he passes the bag to his disciple. When the disciple opens the bag, he finds it is empty. When he wondered why it seemed to have weighed so much, the old man said, “It was heavy with the weight of everything in my life that I did not need to carry.”

Religion should not make life more burdensome. If Jesus placed any burden upon us at all it was that we must love one another. He doesn’t take our burdens from us, per se, but gives us the strength to carry them.

Strength and Weakness

Humility and gentleness don’t seem to make much sense in our modern world. For instance, there is a belief that if you want to succeed, you have to be firm; if you’re gentle, people will take advantage of you. Gentleness tends to be equated with timidity, passivity and weakness.

Nothing is so “strong” as a self-confident person who handles the world with tenderness. Poised gentility is a necessary quality of life, as evidenced by the hands of a mother, a surgeon or a nurse. We all yearn to have a kind heart, and we wouldn’t be able to grow without one. A gentle person knows that healing and growth results from nurturing, not forcing one’s position on another. “A gentle person treads lightly, listens carefully, looks tenderly and touches with reverence.” (Henri Nouwen-Dutch Catholic Priest, 1932-1996.)

The lust for power is rooted in weakness, rather than strength. Only the weak measure their worth by the number of people they can dominate. Weaklings “puff themselves up,” trying to act tough; strong people persevere, striving to rise above their vulnerabilities.

There was no harshness in Jesus. He didn’t force Himself upon people; didn’t attempt to control them. Rather, He was very gentle, and respected their freedom. People with positive influence over others have no need to control those whose lives they touch.

Consider today’s competitive world. We are taught we must “project” ourselves, at all cost, if we want to succeed. Humility is most often seen as weakness, but it is the foundation upon which we can build the “house of the Spirit.” Humility does not involve self-deprecation. Rather, it is the grateful recognition of our goodness, wherein we acknowledge our integrity as a gift from God.

To those who would be gentle and humble, Jesus promised peace of soul. It is because we know so little about being gentle with one another, that we have so much trouble in our homes and in our world. We want to dominate others, because we know so little about humility. In turn, we have so little peace within ourselves and with others. Proud and arrogant people do not bring peace. They spread confusion and unrest, by projecting their own anger and frustrations onto others. Humble people disarm those they encounter, and bring out the best in them.

While proud and insensitive persons make life burdensome for themselves and others, people who are gentle and humble make life less arduous and oppressive for everyone.

May God Richly Bless You!