COME TO JESUS WITH YOUR BURDEN”
(Zec 9:9-10, Ps 145, Rom 8:9,11-13, Mat 11: 25-30)
In the gospel of today, Jesus invites us to bring our problems and worries to him. He points out that truly He is a friend of the poor and the needy who call on him day and night. The invitation to come is one of trust in the Lord as our Redeemer who has the power to do all things.
My dear friends, as Christians our last stop is Jesus. Our hope of overcoming all our burdens in life has its finality in Christ. At the beginning of His Galilean ministry, Christ brought to bear the core reason of His mission on earth as bringing good news to the poor, release to captives, recovery of sight to the blind and to set the oppressed free ( Luke 4:18-19). It is for our own good and wellbeing that He came on this earth. Jesus in his public ministry demonstrated His divine power of setting people free from the bondage of sickness, death and other forms of human sufferings. Jesus feels a lot for our human plight. In Mk 6: 34, Jesus had compassion for the crowd because they were like sheep without shepherd. He was so moved by the sorrow of the sisters and people who came to mourn with them during the death of Lazarus that He wept (Jn 11:35). A lot of examples can still be cited where Jesus was moved with pity because of our human plight.
Human suffering is a reality which we cannot deny. But these sufferings can only find meaning in Christ especially in His Paschal Mystery where He had to endure a lot but finally coming out victoriously. Carrying the cross to Calvary was a cumbersome task but He never gave up till He accomplished his mission. It is in this light that He invites us to bring our burdens to Him, because He was able to overcome, hence we will also overcome no matter what it takes.
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”(Matt 11: 29-30) Jesus has indicated that He was able to overcome His challenge, because He was humble before His Father and trusted Him. We can also overcome if only we are humble enough before Him and put all our trust in Him. We have only to trust the Lord, because He has already gone the path and the difficulties we are encountering in life.
My dear friends, with God all things are possible (Matt 19:26). I do not know what you are going through in life that you think nothing can be done about it. Jesus wants you to know today that He is able to do all things because death was not able to overcome Him. He rose in glory after staying in the tomb for three days. It is through His resurrection power that you and l are able to triumph over all forms human set-backs. He has given us that power to overcome because what lives in us is greater than what is in the world.
Sometimes we fail to trust him and rather put our trust in non- living things which cannot save us and sometimes in our fellow human beings who are limited. The scriptures says curse be unto the one who puts his trust in man. Man cannot save you only Christ can do it for us. Sometimes the problems continue to persist because we lack faith in God. Because His word says if we have faith like the mustard seed we can speak to the mountains to move and they will obey (Matt 17:20).
What is the difficulty in your life which has made things burdensome for you? What have you been struggling with over the years which sometimes makes you doubt the power of God? Bring them to Jesus today in faith and He will help you to overcome, because He has the power to deliver you from it.AMEN.
Have a blessed Sunday and a favoured week ahead!
Rev. Fr. Akakpo Matthew
