Now on a side note, for my birthday she gave me a Russian Box Tortoise that we named Jimmy. I'm still not sure why she did that or thought it was something I wanted. About a year later, she got me another. A female we called Candy. Now, I had two small tortoises I didn't want or ask for living in a large glass aquarium in our guest room. Then we had a baby, and the tortoises found a new home in a preschool in Malibu. Not bad. That was about 23 years ago, and last I heard Jimmy and Candy are living their best lives there.
It’s amazing how many people want to adopt a pet tortoise. Within an hour of putting up an online post, we had dozens of willing takers. Sifting through the list of potential parents, my heart sink. What are we doing? Ed is one of us. Like my own children, he doesn’t know what he’s doing when he rolls over our shrubs like a Sherman tank or eats through our garden like a salad bar. Yet he knows me and loves to follow me around the yard. To be fair, I chase him around the yard too, cleaning up after him.
A week later Ed's new family realized that Ed was too strong and too smart for the place they had built for him. He was digging out at night and escaping. I like to think he was trying to find his way back to us, but I know it was just to go find some tortoise love in the wilderness.
When the family contacted us to see if it was okay to give Ed to another family who already had a secure habitat for him, I found myself wanting him back. But like when we first got him, my pleas were overruled. (and in fairness, probably rightfully so). It sucks. That's my protest. And we move on. With that said, it's been a month now. When I go to the backyard my still heart sinks into my stomach. When I have leftover salad, or vegetable scrape or lawn composts I think of how much joy he'd get running to munch on them. Of course, when I look at the plants in the garden coming back I find a little joy in my own heart. Ed will always be a part of who we are. In a few years, we might have another quirky creature to love. But for now, we can rejoice knowing that while we're finding a new home for our prehistoric pet, God has a new one waiting for us.
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“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits. - Matthew 7:15-20 -
When I first read this passage, I’m not going to lie…a particular politician came to mind. I thought I could hold up a picture and read these verses and that could be my entire message. But then the more I sat with this passage, really contemplating each word, the more I began to see how doesn’t name who the false prophet is because, if we’re being honest, it could be any one of us.
Biblically speaking, a prophet was someone who spoke for God. Someone like Isaiah who proclaimed God's holiness; warning Israel to live righteously or face the consequences. Prophets are the ones who remind us of what God expects from us like Micah who said, to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly. As you can imagine, they weren’t very popular with those in seats of power. Like Jesus, prophets were always at odds with our conventional wisdom. Which makes sense because we are constantly being led astray from what God asks of us. So Jesus says, “Beware of false prophets,” the ones who say they’re speaking on God’s behalf but are really seeking to benefit themselves. He goes on to tell us we will know the difference by watching what someone does. One’s actions are a pretty good indicator if they’re for real, or have ulterior motives. I’m sure we’ve all met someone who seemed trustworthy and kind, but then show their true colors often at your expense. It’s a story as old as time. Like when Eve met a snake in the Garden of Eden who claimed to be wise and enlightened. Well, we know how well that worked out (Genesis 3). Or like in George Orwell’s book, Animal Farm, a pig named Napoleon presents himself as a great leader and benefactor of the other animals. As the story unfolds we discover he’s nothing but a narcissistic tyrant who exploits and betrays the ones he promises to help. Sometimes a person’s deception is so obvious it’s laughable. But most of the time it’s so subtle that you don’t know it happened until it’s too late. Like Jesus says, a tree can look healthy but still produce sour fruit. So how will we know without having to take a bite? I think Paul gives us a perfect metric to go by in his letter to the churches in Galatia. He writes, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…" (Gal. 5:22-23). These nine fruits are the hallmark of a life that’s aligned with God's will. They are hard to fake or disguise. To bear such fruit requires intentionality, effort, and sometimes even sacrifice. I think this is what Jesus means when he says, “anyone who wants to follow me must pick up their cross” (Matthew 16:24). He puts the onus on us to produce good fruit if we are to follow him. In a society that often values power over peace, self-interest over kindness, and instant gratification over self-control, it might seem impossible to embody all nine of these fruits. So why not start with one? The fruit of love. According to Jesus, love for God and others “is what all the laws and prophets hangs on” (Matthew 22:37-38). If you love, you will possess real joy. You will create peace. You can show patience, kindness and goodness to even the most difficult of people. Love paves the way to faithfulness. It makes you gentle with others. And guides your life in a way that reveals Christ’s light in the darkness. So it’s no surprise, Jesus makes love the cornerstone of faith when he commands, “love one another as I love you” (John 13:34-35). From the pulpit, St. Augustine of Hippo asked, "What does love look like?” He answered, “It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like." (Sermon 350, 2) Paul said without love he was nothing. “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor. 13:4-7) No wonder Jesus says, “Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back so your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High” (Luke 6:35). Love is the action that cultivates all the other fruits. It recognizes the humanity in others, and acts with compassion and empathy towards them. Love is the power Jesus uses to transform our hearts from the inside out. And the way he draw us closer to God and one another. If a person dresses like a Christian but refuses to love or help someone without conditions, what does that say about their fruit? Jesus says, “Beware” Don’t follow that person as someone to believe or imitate. Or like he says elsewhere, “You don’t throw pearls to swine” (Matthew 7:6). To follow Christ is to imitate him, to be like him, to love like he does. Which is why it’s imperative to watch Jesus, to study his words, and mimic his actions. He is the way to God, to truth and enlightenment. He says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit…” (John 15:4-5). So here’s the thing…if you are going to call yourself a Christian then you are choosing to bear the fruit of Christ. You are choosing to pick up your cross - no matter the cost or sacrifice. We have to be mindful of what we do because there are others watching us closely too. They are ready to call us out and prove that our faith is as flimsy as a wet noodle. That doing the will of God is not worth their time. A few years back I did something foolish. But at the time it seemed like the right thing to do. In the middle of worship, I called out some very prominent religious leaders who I believed were the kind of false prophets Jesus warns us about. They talked the talk, but didn’t appear to walk the walk. So I named them publicly, and asked rather audaciously, “Where is Christ in your Christianity?” What I should have done was ask myself where is Christ in me? Blinded by my own self-righteousness, I actually believed I was better than they were. The fruit of my action was no different than theirs. The thing is, Jesus never belittles or shames or pressures anyone to follow him - he just pours his love upon them and leaves it up to us to do the same. We are either good fruit or bad. We either love and accept all people as God does, or not. But Jesus makes it very clear when he says, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” To take the name of Christ while refusing to bear his fruit is no different than a politician telling people what they want to hear to get their vote. Everything we say and do is a choice we make on how we will reveal God’s glory on this side of eternity. As we move through Anamesa, we all must ask ourselves, “Will I choose to reflect the character of Jesus? Will I commit to living a life where I actually love God, love others, and serve both?” Will I support leaders who best embody these spiritual fruits? Will I advocate for policies that care for the marginalized. Will I stand for love not hate; build bridges not walls; and engage with people respectfully even if I disagree with them? Will I care for my neighbors despite their race, gender or sexual orientation? As Basil the Great wrote, "A tree is known by its fruit; a person by their deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love." (Letter 93) Love is the way they will know our fruits, and we will know theirs. Good produces good. Bad produces bad. It really is that simple. So let us go out into this space between heaven and earth, growing and nurturing the fruit of Christ-like love. Remembering the words St. Catherine of Siena who encouraged us to, "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire." (Letter T368) Through Christ we have been given the Holy Spirit to light up the world so all can see God’s glory. In doing so, may we come before our Lord who say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master's happiness!" (Matthew 25:21).
For years I thought it was a sports company because it often shares space with more outdoorsy stickers - like guns, hunting, and dirt bikes. While sitting in traffic I Googled the sticker. I was shocked to learn all my assumptions were 100 percent…wrong.
First of all, as it turns out, it’s N-“O”-T-W. And second, it does not represent a sporting goods company or an underground militia, but an evangelical movement based on something Jesus says in John 17. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one....But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world...The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. - John 17:11-23 -
On the eve of his death, Jesus goes to pray alone for his followers, asking God to give them what they will need to continue his ministry. He prays for their joy, protection, sanctification, and unification.
Hidden in the middle he prays, “they are not of this world, just as I am not of this world.” As I have said before, Jesus knows the burdens of being human. He knows what we’re capable of – both positive and negative. He also knows that although we belong to God, we also have to live in a not-so divine world. The way we live in this space between this paradox is to pay close attention to what Jesus says. You might recall, he begins his ministry calling us to repent, to change the way we do things. With himself as an example, Jesus shows us how let go of our old ways of thinking and doing things. He shows us how to embrace God’s radical, inclusive love as our way to be in the world, without being of, or like, a world that often limits on who gets or deserves it. Which brings me back to what those stickers mean. NOTW is an acronym for “Not of this world.” It was created for a particular evangelical mindset that tends to focus more on the afterlife, and less on this life. James Lull wrote this scathing review of the sticker saying: “[This] subculture of religious fanatics takes it upon themselves to announce to commoners like us they are just a bit too good for life on Earth. They’re going to heaven. And you probably are not. Meanwhile, many of the rest of us poor souls are doing our best to make things better right here “In this World.” I did not add this quote to belittle our Christian brothers and sisters but to point out how others see or understand Christianity. And our role in it. Like I’ve said before, Jesus’ main goal isn’t to get us into heaven but to get heaven into us. He doesn’t pray to God to take us away from the world but to send us out into the world. In fact, the last thing Jesus says to his Apostles is “Go to the furthest corners and make more disciples by showing them what I taught you” (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). Everyone who chooses to follow Christ plays an important role on this side of eternity. According to scripture, we are to be imitators of Christ, ambassadors of the Gospel, and visible manifestations of God’s radical love and grace. We are God’s bumper stickers! Which begs the question, what does yours say?
w 6Many years ago in seminary, I had a professor who came into class a few minutes late. She was steaming mad because someone had cut her off in traffic, almost causing her to crash into another car.
When she instinctively honked, the person who cut her off - flipped her off. But it wasn’t the rudeness that upset her the most. It was the sticker on the back of this person’s car. A parking decal for Fuller Seminary! She reminded our class how a simple symbol like that can speak volumes about one’s faith. “If this were the only thing people knew about Jesus,” she asked. “Would they see him as kind, like he was? Or as a rude jerk like that driver made him out to be?” Now, I have an Anamesa license plate frame on my car that says Love God, Love Others, Serve Both. What message would it send if I had a sticker next to it that said, “Guns don’t kill people. I do.” Let’s face it, every Christian alive today is “of” this world. The same world Jesus is a part of. We share this space with both the faithful and the faithless alike. People are watching us as closely as they watched him -confronting conventional wisdom and countering the status quo. While a bumper sticker won’t make a huge impact here, we can. As David Mathis argues, “Being ‘not of the world’ isn’t the destination, it's the starting place.” Jesus sends us out into the world to be “salt of the earth kind of people.” He tells us to be folks “whose light cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:13-16). The Sermon on the Mount offers a very comprehensive list on how to be just that. In it Jesus calls us to hunger and thirst for righteousness. To be merciful, pure, meek, and humble. And to seek reconciliation and peace, without judgement. Although Jesus tells us, “You are blessed when you are persecuted for living this way” (Matthew 5:10) promises us, “The kingdom of heaven will be ours,” living like he expects us to live is not without its challenges. It’s not enough to put a fish sticker on window and drive around town. We must represent what that symbol stands for in every space we enter. Jesus spends his entire life cultivating a kingdom way of living. And he expects us to do the same. He tells us to, “Seek first the kingdom of God. And everything else will fall into place” (Matthew 6:33). Faith is an action, not a noun. It is a call to follow the Way of Jesus, even if it gets us killed. Jesus says, “I did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10: 45). He shows us what that means when he feeds the hungry, heals the sick, and welcomes the stranger. Jesus doesn’t want us to escape the world. He wants us to engage with it, like he did, with our sights set on the kingdom he ushered in. The American Trappist monk, Thomas Merton wrote, “Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy for love itself will render both ourselves and our neighbors worthy.” Jesus says it like this, “Love one another so the world will know you belong to me” (John 13:35). But is that what our bumper stickers are saying? Do our actions reflect his love? What we need to remember is that every encounter we have in this world is an opportunity for us to reveal who Jesus is and why he came to be with us. He is the perfect manifestation of God’s glory made flesh. Through him, we get a foretaste of heaven, here and now. If our focus is only on getting ourselves through the pearly gates, then what does that say about our relationship to Jesus? Or the fact that he says, “Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom” (Matthew 7:21). In fact, Jesus is very clear about what it takes to get in. Engagement, participation, shining his light and love in this space, here and now. It's the way we feed, clothe, heal, welcome, and forgive others that matters, “for the measure you use will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2). Jesus doesn’t mince his words when he reminds us to care for those who cry out for mercy and help. He says, “What you do to the least of these, you do also to me” (Matthew 25:40-45). What we do today matters for tomorrow. We can’t lose sight of the shit Jesus says because people are watching his church closely looking to see how we actually interact with society. Are we helping or harming? Reaching out to others, or closing ourselves off? Are we placing terms and conditions on God’s radial love grace or giving it away unconditionally? From our ire that gets us going, to our votes we cast, to the way we engage with our enemy, to the social policies we support, we must constantly ask ourselves if our words and deeds are building up his kingdom, or helping to tear it down? In the first century, St. Ignatius of Antioch preached to the early church saying, “It is right, therefore, that we not just be called Christians, but that we actually be Christians.” We are God’s beloved - bumper stickers for the kingdom of heaven. Our uniqueness is our strength, not a barrier to cultural engagement. By building relationships, serving our communities, and demonstrating Christ-like love to all people, no matter who they are, where they’re from, or what they believe Jesus says we “will have peace” (John 16:33). As we stand with Jesus in this paradox, in the space between this world and God’s, let us remember the encouraging words of Henri Nouwen who wrote: “We can really be in the world, involved in the world, and actively engaged in the world precisely because we do not belong to it. Because our home is in God, we can be in the world, and speak words of healing, of confrontation, of invitation, and of challenge.” Because we belong to God, we can go out into the world today with confidence, transforming hearts from the inside out as agents of God’s love, justice, and compassion. Let us go, holding fast to the words of Jesus who says, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Work Cited Lull, James. Not Of This World. jameslull.com Mathis, David. Let’s Revise the Popular Phrase “In but not Of the World. August 29, 2012, desiringgod.org. Nouwen, Henri. You Are The Beloved. (Convergent, 2017).
Originally, it was placed on the lot next door but in 1940, it was moved a hundred yards back to the space it occupies now. Then, in the summer of ‘53, the house was lifted up to make room for a basement. And after that it was bolted to the foundation, refusing to be budged in spite of the numerous earthquakes that have tried.
We’ve lived in this house for over twenty years, with plenty of movement of our own. Although it seems like an endless cycle of patching, painting, pruning, and plumbing (which frustrates me to no end), this is more than just a dwelling place. It’s home. Our hearts are here. Our roots are here. But I know this won’t last forever. One day we all will move on. The house included. This old place of ours is a great and humble reminder that the only thing that can weather time is God, whose providence and provision are the very foundations of life. As the psalmist writes, “Lord, you are my rock and my redeemer.” Knowing this, Jesus tells us a wise person is someone who builds their house upon this rock. Having a strong foundation is key to keeping your house in shape, and your life in order. Once again, as we find ourselves in the midst of division and chaos, let us remember the words of Jesus who says, “do not let your hearts be troubled…for God has built a house for you.” He shows us how to build a life with God here and throughout eternity. With God as our true foundation, we can face life’s uncertainty knowing wherever God is, we are always home. For God is our rock. “And upon this rock I will build my church” says Jesus. “And not even the gates of hell will prevail against it.”
Whether we like it or not…AI is the new way forward. For some, that’s a good thing. For others, it’s terrifying. Of course, people had the same reaction when the telegraph came out. They feared it would destroy privacy, and its wires would attract lightning. People were also afraid of the printing press, electricity, vaccines, and the computer.
As we’ve been learning, people also were afraid at some of the shit Jesus says. Not only did his new way threatened conventional wisdom, but it also terrified the status quo. Like AI, Jesus came to advanced humanity forward. Much of what he said was met with resistance to the change. As we will see, Jesus has a thing to say about that.
I have this vivid childhood memory of stomping on grapes in the bathtub with my mom. I can’t remember which house we did this in, but I recall the laughter we shred squishing grapes between our toes. I don’t know if it was the way the wine was crafted, or the fact that it was stored in recycled 7-UP bottles, but mom’s little experiment didn’t go as planned. The buildup of fermented gas caused some of the bottles to explode. While others brewed a beautiful bouquet of biohazard waste. Still, kudos to my mom for stepping out of her comfort zone to try something new. Jesus wasn’t shy about doing things in a new way. Even if it meant breaking a few rules. Had we read the entire story, we’d see that Jesus and his crew disregard social taboos to dine with some notorious scallywags. When the religious elites see this, they go after him; using the law to defend their judgement. But Jesus isn’t having any of that. He knows the law, and he also knows their hearts. When they question why his disciples don’t pray and fast like they do, Jesus gives them a very simple, easy to understand answer. He says, “no one puts new wine into old wineskins.” On the surface it seems like Jesus is dismissing his critics and even disregarding the law that God had given to be obeyed. As we’ve been learning, Jesus isn’t throwing the law out. He’s merely placing love and grace above it. That was his yoke, his teaching, like we talked about last week. Jesus is less concerned with external compliance and more about internal transformation - the kind that leads a person to a new understanding of oneself in relationship to God and others. For those of us who are used to drinking wine from a bottle that has been aged in oak barrels, we have to remember that in the 1st century wine was produced in vessels made from animal hides. They used this method because the skins could stretch and expand as gas was produced during the fermentation process. Old wineskins were already stretched to their limit. They couldn’t handle the new wine without exploding…damaging both the wine and the vessels. In this metaphor, Jesus is saying the Pharisee’s way is like old wine skin. Their demand for strict obedience to the law can’t hold the new wine of Christ which is love and grace. When asked what the greatest law is, remember what Jesus says? Love God and love others, because love is what “all the laws and prophets hang on” (Matthew 22:35-40). Jesus knows the scriptures. He knows the laws and what the prophets say. He also knows that some people like the Pharisees look at outward appearance, but that God looks at the heart. Jesus says, “It’s not what goes into a person’s mouth that defiles them, but what comes out” (Matthew 15:11). Our hate, anger, judgment, and violence all stem from the heart. The new way of Jesus is a radical departure from the old. One that transforms us from the inside out. You might recall Jesus begins his ministry calling us to repent, to change the way we think and do things. This requires a new framework and mindset. A new way of living, doing and being. The old way will not be able to contain or hold it without destroying both. Richard Rohr says, “God keeps creating things from the inside out, so they are forever yearning, developing, growing, and changing for the good. To fight transformative and evolutionary thinking is to fight the very core concept of faith.” To say it another way, you can’t follow Jesus faithfully and remain the same person. It’s impossible. I know this because back in 2017, when I reluctantly agreed to start a new church in our backyard, I was more like the Pharisees than Jesus. I was holding on to the old traditions that I knew to be church. For two long, depressing years, I struggle to set roots muchless good ones. I felt like a failure. I questioned my faith and doubted my calling. I constantly fretted over church growth and got angry when no one showed up. The more people questioned the authenticity of what I was doing, telling me this wasn’t a real church, the more I dug deeper into the old traditions to prove them wrong. I can’t tell you how many times I quit. The burden was too much to bear. Then, in 2019, I voiced my frustrations to a wonderful Kenyan missionary named Geoffrey Lipale who gently said, “Jesus was very clear. New wine belongs in new wine skin.” That’s when everything just clicked on. As it turned out, the thing I thought was a curse from God was actually a great gift I had been given. A blank slate to come up with a new paradigm to live out the gospel in real time. Instead of trying to replicate traditional church models, Jesus freed me to create a new way to meet the needs and challenges of this unique community. Rohr is right. Faith isn’t supposed to be stagnant. It should always be growing and evolving because God is alive and moving within us. We must always be searching for new ways to reveal God in the space between meeting today’s needs with love. And embracing tomorrow’s opportunities with grace and joy. Just as new wine continues to ferment and change, our faith must be dynamic, ever-deepening, and expanding. The same is true for the church as a whole. We have to be flexible and open to change as the Holy Spirit moves us to be living, thriving, creative laboratories of God’s inclusive and life-giving love. I used to worry about our small size, but now I think it’s one of our greatest strengths. Our size allows us to cultivate deep, authentic relationships, both in person and online. We not only know everyone’s name, but we also know who needs prayer, or a meal, or some extra encouragement to get through a difficult season. Thanks to having a congregation that’s spread all over the country, we can share the gospel to more communities and people in all the unique ways we love God, love others, and serve both. Just as AI is changing and transforming industries, Jesus challenges us to transform our hearts and communities with the new wine of God’s love and grace. Jesus knows the Pharisees are good religion scholars. “They know the law,” He says but they “don’t take it in their hearts and live it out in their behavior” (Matthew.23:3, MSG). One great way we can do that is doing what he says, “love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). And "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love" (John 15:10). It’s in the way we love that we reveal the true spirit of the law. And reveal his truth to a world in dire need of it. Despite the fact Jesus constantly faces criticism and pushback he always stands on the side of love. Love is the new wine, and our hearts are the new wine skins. No matter how big or small we are, we are still his church. Which makes us vessels of his love. Here’s the thing, it’s his wine, not ours. He doesn’t store it in us for safe keeping but gives it to us to share. I know a lot of people who collect wine. And on special occasions they will uncork a bottle or two for us to enjoy. Jesus sees every day as a special occasion. And he wants us to share his wine not just with friends but with those who despise us. The world is thirsty for what he has to offer. Jesus sends us out into the world to uncork God’s love and to pour it out generously, so no one is without. We are sent into Anamesa, knowing that every interaction and relationship we have is an opportunity to offer his new wine. This is what church is all about loving people out there, whether or not they come in here. Jesus says, “if you love me, you will tend to my sheep” (John 21:15-17). We are given today to do just that. Let us go and build upon our rich history by living out the gospel in new and life-giving ways so everyone we meet can become intoxicated with Christ, who took a cup of wine and said, “This is the blood of the new covenant poured out for all for the forgiveness of sins. Every time you drink of this cup, you do so in remembrance of me” (Matthew 26:28).
My dad always jokes, “At my age, happy hour is a nap.” That’s some good advice. Rest is key to good health. It can reduce stress, inflammation, and heart disease. And can restore mental energy and creativity. In fact, as a recent study has proven, people who nap tend to live longer than those who don’t.
Out of the nearly 700 laws found in Torah, taking a day of rest made the top ten. At least once a week, God expects us to stop doing stuff so we can enjoy the fruits of our labor. Have we forgotten the lessons we learned four years ago when the world shut down? If it weren’t for holiday weekends like this one, would we ever stop to catch our breath? Are you feeling burnt out on life? Are you worn out from the endless cycle of bad news streaming around the clock? Fatigued from the political divisiveness in our country and around the world? Are you tired of struggling to keep your head above water just to exist? If so, then listen carefully to what Jesus has say. “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus knows how exhausting it is to be human. He knows what hard labor feels like to tired muscles. And what doubt and anguish can do to a person’s well-being. Jesus knows what we’re dealing with. He’s been there, done that.
In this passage, Jesus notices and addresses the weariness of those around him. He names their spiritual state without any adding any judgment or shame. He says to them, "Come to me. Bring me your burdens.” As we’ve been learning, Jesus says some good shit. Sometimes it can sound too good to be true. The demands of work, family, and even our own expectations, can overwhelm any one of us. We hardly have time to rest muchless deal with these things that are weighing us down. Jesus says, “Come, give them to me.” It’s like he’s saying, “Life is hard enough without having to carry around extra burdens.” Think about all the crap you carry with you. It could be your job, your love life, your social capitol. Maybe it’s just the stress of everyday life; keeping the house in order – or the family from falling apart. Perhaps you’re carrying shame and guilt over something you did. Or something you did not do when you should have. Maybe the burden is something that happened which you have buried deep down inside. Joshua Bowron writes, “Each of us is dealing with something, or a whole litany of somethings, that if we all had to wear them outwardly, I daresay we’d have a much more compassionate world.” So why do we hide our burdens, pretending they don’t exist? When someone asks how are you doing, do you tell them the truth? Which is why Jesus’ words still speak to us today. Jesus does not say, “hide your problems.” He says, “bring them to me and I will give you rest.” Jesus is not offering a soft pillow to lay our heads down on, he’s offering us God’s own heart - a welcoming sanctuary to let it all go, without judgement or shame. While the world might offer us a long weekend here and there, Jesus is offering us true rest for our weary souls; a profound sense of eternal peace that comes from knowing we are with God… being loved and cared for. In John’s gospel Jesus says, “I have come as a light in the world so that anyone who believes in me no longer remains in the darkness” (John 12:46). In his light, our deepest pain, our darkest secrets, our heaviest burdens are not only exposed for what they are…but are also redeemed back into God’s glory. As I’ve said before, Jesus is always inviting us to experience a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God and one another one that changes us from the inside out. If you ask me, real spiritual transformation begins by setting our eyes upon the one who says, “Take my yoke. Learn from me.” In ancient Judaism, a yoke is not the yellow blob inside an egg. Nor is it that heavy, wooden contraption that hangs over the necks of oxen. It was a rabbi’s way of interpreting Torah for his students to make it applicable to life. Different rabbis had different yokes; each with a different set of rules of what you can and cannot do. Jesus knows how strict adherence to a rabbi’s yoke can be overwhelming. The pressure it puts on a person can be burdensome…and lead to spiritual and mental exhaustion. Jesus offers a radical alternative. One that is counter-cultural to his contemporaries. He describes his yoke as, “easy” and the burden is “light.” But it’s not so much the ease of his teachings that gets people’s attention. It seems wherever Jesus speaks, “the people listening are astounded, for he taught them as one having authority, unlike the scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29). Despite what many of the scribes and Pharisees are saying about him, Jesus is not out to undermine or shame them or make them look bad. His goal is to “uphold the laws and prophets” to a standard that goes above conventional wisdom. And beyond a call for strict obedience. Anyone can memorize anything to pass a class. But Jesus always emphasizes the reason why the law was given in the first place. He often reminds his accusers that, “The Sabbath law was made for humankind" and not the other way around (Mark 2:27). In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “You have heard it said don’t murder, but I’m telling you don’t even get angry with someone” (Matthew 5:21). He knows obedience to the law does not stop you from getting pissed-off at someone. But your love for God and neighbor can. Jesus teaches us to “love your enemy” (Matthew 5:43-44) in the same way God loves you. Jesuus knows love is the only thing that can stop hate…or turn an enemy into a friend. While other rabbis were teaching an “eye-for-an-eye” retaliatory justice, Jesus says, “Don’t give into evil, but instead turn the other cheek" (Matthew 5:38-39). He has seen what retaliation can do to a person or community. Example after example, we see how his yoke breaks the vicious cycles of violence, retaliation, anger, lust and so on. He tells his followers, “There’s no time for this tit-for-tat stuff. Just go and live graciously and generously.” Studying God’s laws isn’t going to cut it. We have to embody the Spirit of each one with every fiber of our being. Jesus says, “If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light” (Luke 11:34-36). Here’s the thing to remember, the yoke of Jesus is grounded on love and grace, and not strict obedience to a bunch of religious rituals and laws. His way is relational – where acts of kindness, forgiveness, mercy, and justice shape all our actions and interactions. Like Jesus will remind his students, “A disciple is not above the teacher it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher…” (Matthew 10:24-25a). If you are going to take Christ’s name than you have to embrace his way of living out God’s love with others so serving both is no longer a burden. Because at the end of the day, Jesus doesn’t want people to just be woke. He needs people who will continue the work he began – to awaken the world to the injustice and inequality that is suffocating and harming others; including laws that keep certain people from thriving in God’s glory. To accept Jesus’ invitation, is to extend God’s radical and redemptive love to everyone, without conditions, judgment, or adding more burdens. His yoke is a compassionate heart that frees you to love that person who annoys you. Or to welcome back that estranged friend you blocked on Facebook. By embracing Jesus’ yoke, we begin to see everyone like he does. It’s in this space the words of Jesus ring true, “You will find rest for your souls.” Contrary to how it sounds, this rest isn’t about doing less. It’s about being more. Being more present to God's love. Being more attuned to the rhythms of God’s grace. And being more rooted in life as God’s beloved child. Just as a good teacher can inspire you to live up to your potential, our Lord tells us, we will go on to do greater things than him (John 14:12). His is an invitation to not only live into our potential but to thrive throughout eternity. On this day of sabbath rest, I encourage you to free yourself from everything that’s weighing you down – any shame, guilt, or past mistakes you have made. And accept the invitation of our gentle and humble Lord who calls out to us to embrace a life of love and service. His yoke is easy. His burden is light. And in him we find rest for our weary, worn-out souls. Work Cited: Adapted from Come…Find Rest. July 5, 2020. jesusnotjesus.org Bartlett, David L. and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds. Feasting on the Word Year A, Vol. 3. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2011 Bowron, Joshua. Taking on Jesus' Yoke. 07 09, 2017. episcopalchurch.org (accessed on 07 03 2024) Pagano, Joseph S. Come To Me. 06 29, 2020. episcopalchurch.org (accessed 07 03, 2020). |
Ian MacdonaldAn ex-copywriter turned punk rock pastor and peacemaker who dedicates his life to making the world a better place for all humanity. "that they all might be one" ~John 17:21“Prius vita quam doctrina.”
~ St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) * “Life is more important than doctrine.”
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