The Easy Yoke

July 9, 2023 Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30 Year A 6th Sunday after Pentecost The easy yoke Prelude Welcome Call to Worship One: Come on ya’ll, let’s worship the Lord! Come to Jesus, all you who have suffered a beat down this week. Many: Come to Jesus, all you who have experienced family turmoil this week. One: Come to Jesus, all you who are tired of conflict all around, tired of high gas prices, tired of glass ceilings, quotas, minimum wage jobs, and limited family values. Many: Come to Jesus, all you who have a job that is getting on your last nerve. One: Jesus said, “I’ll give you rest. I’ll bring you relief. I’ll provide your deliverance. I’ll make a way.” Many: And Jesus will give us wonderful rest! All: Come on ya’ll, let’s worship the Lord! Adapted from Joseph W. Daniels, The Africana Worship Book, Year A Opening Prayer Lord of peace and hope, we open our hearts to you this day. Be with us as we hear your words of inspiration and healing. Guide our hearts and spirits as we seek to be witnesses to your redeeming and reconciling love. In Jesus’ Name, we offer this prayer. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Song. Come Thou Font of Every Blessing Children’s Sermon Does everyone see this? It’s a pillow. We use pillows to rest our heads on when we sleep. We wouldn't be very comfortable without a pillow to rest our heads or neck on. And our back would start hurting and we wouldn't get that much sleep that night. Getting a good night's sleep is really important, especially if you want to be energetic and active the next day. Sleep helps our body in a lot of ways. It helps our muscles rebuild and gives our stomach time to digest all the food we ate that day. Sleep is necessary. Without it we wouldn't survive. You know kind of like this pillow, God also provides comfort and rest. But I'm not talking about sleep for our bodies, I'm talking about rest for our souls. Do you know what a soul is? Our souls are spirits that live forever and when we die, our spirits live on. When you accept Jesus into your heart, you accept his promise that your soul will live forever in heaven. If you don't accept Jesus, your soul will end up in hell. That's not a very nice place to be. So it would be nice to know for sure that we're going to heaven. I think I would lose a lot of sleep if I didn't know where I was going when I died. Fortunately, Jesus said he will give us rest. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” If we love Jesus and follow him, he will give us rest and comfort. We can be assured that we will spend an eternity with God in heaven. We'll never have to be tired, or stressed, or worried. So get a good night's sleep tonight, and when you lay your head on your pillow, remember that God provides a total rest in heaven. (Children’s Ministry Deals) Apostles Creed UMH 881 Prayer for illumination Gracious God, for generations, your Word has brought love and life to your people. Speak to us now; we pray that we may hear, and in hear- ing, we may be transformed. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Tara Bulger) Scripture. Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 Sermon. The Easy Yoke Sermon Opener – The Burden Bearing Christ - Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 There is a wonderful legend concerning the quiet years of Jesus, the years prior to his visible ministry. The legend claims that Jesus the carpenter was one of the master yoke-makers in the Nazareth area. People came from miles around for a yoke, hand carved and crafted by Jesus son of Joseph. When customers arrived with their team of oxen Jesus would spend considerable time measuring the team, their height, the width, the space between them, and the size of their shoulders. Within a week, the team would be brought back and he would carefully place the newly made yoke over the shoulders, watching for rough places, smoothing out the edges and fitting them perfectly to this particular team of oxen. That’s the yoke Jesus invites us to take. Do not be misled by the word “easy,” for its root word in Greek speaks directly of the tailor-made yokes: they were “well-fitting.” The yoke Jesus invites us to take, the yoke that brings rest to weary souls, is one that is made exactly to our lives and hearts. The yoke he invites us to wear fits us well, does not rub us nor cause us to develop sore spirits and is designed for two. His yokes were always designed for two. And our yoke-partner is none other than Christ himself. Running throughout all scripture from the beginning to the end is the theme that ours is a burden bearing Christ. He is not just a Lord whom we burden, and we do, but a Lord who actually solicits our burdens.... Our major lesson for today is how to wear the yoke of Jesus. Last week we looked ag Matthew 10 – Jesus us preparing the disciples for mission. He tells them to take up your cross and follow me. Matthew 11 occurs after that event. His words and his teachings seem all over the place. The lectionary writers tried to summarize Matthew 11 for us, and it still seems like a lot fo take in. Jesus starts talking about kids refusing to play games, the he talks about a hopeless generation that won’t listen, he compares his ministry with that of John the Baptist. Then he invites us into a challenging ministry – but encourages us to rest. That is a lot to talk about in just one chapter. Some scholars say that Matthew 11 was directed to John the Baptist’ disciples. Jesus was comparing his ministry to JB. And now that John the Baptist was in jail, he was inviting his disciples to join his mission. Now get this, this is just a theory, but some people say that Jesus was a recovering alcoholic, and when he was baptized by John the Baptist, he fully recovered and turned his life around. I know that sounds crazy – but it is biblical. In his comparison, he says that John the Baptist abstained from eating and drinking and the people rejected him. And the holy one came eating and drinking and the people called him a glutton and a drunkard. Jesus liked to quote scripture – and it says in Deuteronomy 21:20 that the holy one was a glutton and a drunkard and he turned his life around and started ministry. Some people say that Jesus was talking about his own life, when he talks about the holy one. Fortunately, most scholars agree that Jesus used that biblical reference figuratively. He was just making a point, that this hopeless generation always has something to complain about. Actually, we are that hopeless generation. Times Were Hard The times were hard. The government, a huge bureaucracy that provided so many important things like roads and military support and the justice system, was hopelessly out of touch with the people. And the religious establishment wasn't much better. It seemed so focused on preserving the status quo that it had little or no vision for what might yet come to pass. When a prophet spoke out, they were vilified, punished, especially if they called into question the decisions of the government. Voices of hope arose, but just as quickly they fell as questions arose about the character of the speaker, about their ability to deliver, or about the transgressions of their past. Apathy was the prevailing ethos in the community. It was not hard to imagine the people asking, "Why even bother when nothing seems to change?" Kind of hard to figure out the time referenced, isn't it? While this description is meant to refer to Matthew's community, they could be referring to today in any town or city in America. The pervasive apathy of our age, the sense that nothing can improve and to bother trying to make things better is a fool's errand, the despair that makes us resign our hearts to a belief that poverty, hunger and homelessness have no real answers. Such matters are left to Sisyphus, sadly rolling that stone up the hill only to have it roll back down, generation after generation after generation. Trace Haythorn, Jesus' Invitation to Paradox Jesus still invites us to come and follow him. Yeah, it sounds good – but how many of us are tired, weary, wear of the Christian life. Afterall it is a lot of work. It is a lot of going against the crowd, it is a lot of worrying, it is a lot of rejection and negativity. It really doesn’t ,make life any easier – and in most cases it makes life harder. Possible Sermon Closer Growing weary is the consequence of many experiences: We can be weary of waiting; We can be weary of studying and learning; We can be weary of fighting the enemy; We can be weary of criticism and persecution. There are lots of things in life that are fine in themselves, but our strength has its limits and before long fatigue cuts our feet out from beneath us. The longer the weariness lingers, the more we face the danger of that weary condition clutching our inner man by the throat and strangling our hope, our motivation, our spark, our optimism, our encouragement. But Let's understand that God does not dispense strength and encouragement like a druggist fills your prescription. The Lord doesn't promise to give us something to TAKE so we can handle our weary moments. He promises us HIMSELF. That is all. And that is enough. The Savior says: Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, 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 (Matt. 11:28-30 NIV). Charles Swindoll, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, Zondervan, 1983, pp. 150-151 When you are physically tired – we can sleep, when you are emotionally tired you can spend time alone, but what happens when you are spiritually tired.I think that we have all had that time when taking a break does not make us feel better. We are still tired after everything. What is the remedy? I Have More Remedies Have you heard about the farmer who went to a government bureaucrat specializing in animal health? The farmer sought help from the “expert” because ten of his chickens had suddenly died. The government expert instructed the farmer to give aspirin to all the surviving chickens. Two days later, however, the farmer returned. Twenty more chickens had died. What should he do now? The expert said quickly: Give all the rest castor oil. Two days later, the farmer returned a third time and reported 30 more dead chickens. The government expert now strongly recommended penicillin. Two days later a sad farmer showed up. All the rest of his chickens had now died. They were all gone. “What a shame,” said the expert, “I have lots more remedies!” The world offers many so-called remedies to the problem of stress, but the truth is most of them don’t work. The world offers many so-called experts on stress management, but the truth is there is only one Great Physician who can give us the comfort and strength we need. The world offers many so-called solutions for the tensions and burdens that push us down and pull us apart… but the truth is there is only one Prince of Peace, who can soothe our jangled nerves and save our troubled souls. There is only One who can truthfully say and mean it: “Come to Me all of you who are exhausted and weary and worn and troubled and stressed out and I will give you rest. I will give you comfort, I will give you the strength you need for the living of these days.” James W. Moore, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com I think sometimes that is the problem with this hopeless generation – we think that there is a problem for every solution. We are searching for remedies to make us feel better. After 2000 years of Jesus teaching, we are still learning that there is no remedy for life. Life is a challenge no matter who you are. Dealing with other people is a challenge. Being in mission is a challenge – and there is no cure for that. And yet Jesus is still inviting us to take up his yoke. Alone, a bull can pull 7000 pound, but when yoked to another, they can pull not twice, but three times that amount. When we are yoked to christ, it is Christ who bears the burden. There is a legend that christ made yokes in his workshop with his earthly father Joseph. They were such good craftsmen that the sign over the door said, my yokes fit well. Yoked together we don’t have to work alone, but we also don’t have to bear the burden alone. Together, we can do so much more. Together with God, we can do the impossible. Christ calls us into community to work together. Working together we can see the hard work to be done, but we can also look to see the synergy that we are creating. Did you know that the pastor’s stole is actually inspired by this verse. In the early church church workers, usually women – wore an apron to symbolize that fact that they were yoked to God in their work. Eventually the stole got smaller and was jusat a symbol- but the meaning is still the same. In order to to the work of the church, you have to be yoked to God. And be willing to follow the actions of God in everything that you do. It encourages pastors to look to God as a partner, but it is a reminder for all of us – that we are not alone, God works with us. The invititation to be a Christian is not an invitation to an easy life, but it is indeed a yoke unlike no other. Being yoked to the holy spirit is an adventure – Jesus can attest to that. One the one hand you see a lot of pain and suffering, but on the other hand – you find beauty, miracles, joy, peace, and yes rest. It is interesting, because that word has been haunting me all week. Not in a bad way – but in a way to make me think. There have been facebook post all week about rest. One which said that it is important for pastors to rest and not think that they have to work all of the time. But how can you find rest when there is so much that needs to be done? The Sweetest Sound There is a story that Hebrew families tell their children to help them understand the fourth commandment. The fourth commandment reads, "Six days you shall labor but on the seventh you shall rest." The story is called, "The Sweetest Sound." The main character in the story is King Ruben. It goes something like this. The king asked his royal subjects, "What is the sweetest melody of all?" Early the next morning they gathered all sorts of musicians. The sound awoke the king and all morning he listened to their tunes. But, after listening to all of them he could not tell which was the sweetest sound. Finally, one subject suggested they all play together. It was so noisy the king couldn’t think. About that moment a woman, dressed in her Sunday best, pushed to the front of the crowd and stepped forward. "O, king," she said, "I have the answer to your question." The king was surprised since she had no instrument. "Why didn’t you come earlier?" he asked. She replied, "I had to wait until the setting of the sun." The musicians were still playing and the king told them all to stop. The woman then took two candles and placed them on the king’s balcony rail. She lit them just as the sun continued to set. The flames glowed in the evening darkness. She then lifted her voice and said, "Blessed art thou, O Lord, Our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us with the commandments and commanded us to kindle the Sabbath lights." She then said, "He who has an ear, let him hear." Everyone was completely still. "What is that?" asked the king." He could not hear a sound. The woman then replied, "What you hear is the sound of rest, the sweetest melody of all." Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." This is also the sweetest sound any of us can hear. Keith Wagner, True Freedom Listening to God is a world beyond problems and solutions. It is a world that is so much bigger than that, a vision that offers infinite inspiration to keep going. You have light in even the darkest situation. Being yoked to God is an experience unlike any other. Jesus would know. Recognizing the presence of God along the journey of life, allows us to rest. Rest One man challenged another to an all-day wood chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had. "I don't get it," he said. "Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did." "But you didn't notice," said the winning woodsman, "that I was sharpening my ax when I sat down to rest." www.Sermons.com Finally, God reminds us to honor the sabbath and to keep it holy. Worship: Time to Cool Down In the early days of automobiles, it was common for eating and drinking places to be built on the tops of long hills. I know that near where I grew up on the old Island Highway, there is a restaurant called the Malahat Chalet - still located at the top of the longest grade between Nanaimo and Victoria. It was not located there for the view, nor were most of the others you can still find around North America at the tops of hills and mountains. These locations were for the convenience of people who needed to stop and let their overheated radiators cool down. That is one of the functions of Worship for many of us - a time for rest and refreshment - when we let our overheated radiators cool down. Richard J Fairchild, Come Unto Me - For My Burden Is Easy 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is lig Song. Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling. UMH 348 Prayers of the People Gracious God, in Jesus, we are invited to come to you with our burdens, with the wearying concerns of our lives. Hear us now as we pray for the world around us. Our national news is filled with stories of violence and harm. We live in a world in which many are in danger, and many seem unmoved by that fact. Change our moral consciousness Lord to one in which safety and preservation of life is our most important concern. May we each look deep into your Word, Lord, to find the ethic we will live by and work for your kingdom to come. We pray for the sick or suffering people in our world and our community. We pray for your grace to be found in the unwanted diagnosis or med- ical news; may your love saturate the grief that news brings. For those who suffer from pain and discomfort, we pray that you will ease their suffering and give them fresh hope in the face of illness. Lord, we ask that you look upon our relationships and families and strengthen them. Build up our marriages, reinforce our friendships, and bless the ties that bind us. Enable us to be the parents, grandparents, sons, and daughters you have called us to be. Bless our families — whether they are families of blood or choice. And we ask that you guide this church into new life and health. Teach us each to live in such a way that the power of God working in us is evident to all. May all that we do as a church community and all that we do as individuals glorify you. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Tara Bulger) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment A Beautiful Doxology Early one morning some years ago, Robert Raines got into his car and started driving through the mountains. There was no one on the road (at that time) as the mountains were quietly beginning a new day. The beautiful colors of autumn were splashed all over the trees. It was a magnificent and glorious sight as the early morning sun glistened upon the wonders of the mountains and the valleys below. And then it happened… Robert Raines saw one of the most beautiful things he had ever witnessed in his life. Right there at the very edge of that great mountain peak and facing the gorgeous valley below… was a young man in his early twenties with a trumpet pressed to his lips. And, do you know what he was playing? With his lungs expanded fully and releasing all of the energy in his soul, he was playing the Doxology on his trumpet! Praise God from whom all blessings flow Praise Him all creatures here below Praise Him above ye heavenly host Praise, Father, Son and Holy Ghost! The point is clear: With all the stresses and problems in this life, still the truth is: - We have so many doxologies to sing, - So much to be grateful for, - So many blessings to count. The point is: Life is more than a grueling endurance test. Life is more than a survival game. Life is more than a coping competition. So, you see… it’s not enough to just escape the stress. It’s not enough to just endure the stress. Thank God… there is another option… James W. Moore, Collected Sermons,www.Sermons.com Offertory Prayer God of compassion and mercy, you claim each one of us as your children. Like a parent, you are joyful when we find joy and your heart aches when we fall, fail, or feel less than the beloved heirs to the kingdom you meant us to be. The yoke the Bible describes doesn’t burden us but reminds us that you yearn for us to be a church, a community, that supports, steadies, and sustains when life makes us weary. The gifts we give this day we give in gratitude for this yoke that helps us finish the race in faithfulness. Bless our giving and its use, we pray in Christ’s name. Amen. (Matt 11:16-19, 25-30) (United Methodist Board of Discipleship) Announcements Joys and Concerns Benediction May you be strengthened for the week ahead by the joy we have shared this day. May the words of hope resonate the whole weeklong. May you live for the glory of God. And may the triune God surround us with love and care our whole lives long. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Tara Bulger)