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P I R I T U A L F O R M A T I O N |
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CHILDREN'S EDUCATION |
SERMONS The
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost By David Christian I have a question. How many of you don't have enough to do? Are you able to get everything that needs to be done for the day finished by mid-morning or noon or three o'clock? If you keep one of those "do" lists, do you get everything checked off by bedtime so there is nothing that gets carried over to the next day? Do you have everything current at work? Are your chores around the house all finished? Have you caught up on all your reading? Have you spent the time you should with your parents, your children-your spouse? Do you have all those letters written? And how about God? All those obligations taken care of? Have you been loving your neighbor? Have you fed the hungry lately; welcomed the stranger; clothed the naked; cared for the sick; visited the prisoner? Got all those checked off your list? Well, I know there are one or two things still on my list to be done. And if you have everything up-to-date, I don't think I want to hear about it. I'm not sure I could gaze on such perfection and survive. The truth is that most of us struggle under the weight of unmet obligations. And for those of us who don't have enough to do-perhaps due to retirement or some other reason-there is perhaps a heavier burden, the burden of time. All of those empty days stretching out in front of us, days that must be filled or at least lived through. And as if this were not enough, there is always worry. Whether you have too much to do or not enough to do, you probably worry-about the future, about finances, about your children or your parents or your spouse or your friends; about the church. Many people would claim that if you really love someone, you worry about them; that lack of worry is a sign of not caring. I know some people who have elevated worry to a full-time job. Into the middle of this world filled with people laboring under loads they can hardly bear comes the Christ. "Come to me," he says, "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." Christ comes, and he calls us to lay down these burdens we bear, these attempts to be all things to all people, attempts to accomplish more than we have the time or the energy for, attempts to accept responsibility for more than we are capable of accomplishing. He calls us back from the worship of false gods, from the service of idols-the idols of material wealth, of financial security, of a good name, of the perfect family. And perhaps most importantly, he calls us to lay down the burden of worry. Worrying is not a Christian virtue. In fact, Christians are called not to worry. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says, "Do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' ... Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things." And Paul, who certainly saw his share of controversy and hardship, writes to the Church at Philippi, "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." But notice one thing. If Christ calls us to lay down our burdens, he also calls us to pick up his burden. If he calls us away from the service of false gods, he calls us to the service of the true God. For a basic fact of life is that we will carry some burden, we will serve some god. We can choose to serve a false god which cannot be satisfied and attempt to carry our burden alone. Or we can choose to follow the true God, whose love for us is without measure and who will be with us give us his strength to bear whatever burden he gives us. And what is the yoke that he would place upon us? What is the burden he would call us to bear? The burden of love. We are called to love God. We are called to love our selves. And we are called to love our neighbor. Nothing more. But also nothing less. We are called to this love out of the realization that we are first loved by God. And with the understanding that in loving others we are passing on that love of God; the love God first gave to us. We take on the yoke of Christ, we bear the burden given to us by God, with the certain hope that Paul's promise to the Philippians holds for us also: "My God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen." David
Christian
Proper 9A
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Chapel
of the Cross · 674 Mannsdale Road · Madison, Mississippi
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