July 9, 2017
Pentecost + 5A

“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” 5At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. “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 11:16-19, 25-30

The Gospel lesson we have for today comes from the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus is speaking to the crowds who have gathered to hear his word. Jesus says “To what will I compare this generation?” We have, for many, many years, given names and defined certain generations. For example, we talk about the 1920’s and we call them the “Roaring Twenties”. It was defined by a period of sustained economic prosperity and gave us terms like the “Flappers” and other social, artistic and cultural dynamism. Then we have the 1930’s and the “Great Depression” generation. I don’t have to talk about that time at all, because we still have a few folks around us who are products of the depression era. Next came the “Baby Boomers”, those born from 1946 – 1964. I am a late product of the Baby Boomer generation. These people brought us the craziness of the sixties, the birth control pill and the moon landing. Finally we have the “Generation X” folks, those born from the mid 1960’s to the 1980’s. And then there is the current generation called the “Millennial Generation”, those born in the 1990’s and following. These people are the ones who will grow up in the real explosion of technology. Jesus says, in essence, “How will I define my generation?” He was looking around and what he saw disturbed him. He said they were like children playing in the market who are unwilling to join in with the happy dancers. They were also like people who were at a funeral but could not mourn. They were, as John the author of Revelation said, “Neither hot nor cold”. They rejected John the Baptist’s ascetics, and they rejected Jesus’ mercy. Instead they were a people who were burdened by a religion that wearied them through excessive rules and regulations. Now, we know something about living in a society of rules and regulations. And we know that sometimes life can leave us feeling lost and alone. So many people carry so many burdens in this life, so many burdens that they just shut down and turn inward. They turn inward and try to find their own means to ease their burdens.

Jesus tells us to cast our burdens upon him – and he will take them on – share them with us – for his shoulders are very broad – and he has yoked himself to us, through the cross. What does it mean that Jesus has yoked himself to us? It means, first, that we need not bear the burdens of salvation – Jesus has already done that. So what Jesus asks in return is that we love God, and love our neighbor. And loving our neighbor means that we help them bear their burdens: we grieve with them when they experience a loss, we give to people who are in need, and we walk with people when they have lost their way. But, it means more than that. You see, Jesus was frustrated with his generation who refused to join in the dance and wanted to be left alone because they had to focus on their own salvation – and worried if they had done enough. Many people today feel the same way – they feel as if they are a burden to others and can’t ask for help. So they try to handle their burdens on their own. And my friends, all that accomplishes is getting them further off track – further separated from others – laden down by their heavy loads. Jesus says: “Come to me” – “Come to me” – “Place your burdens upon me”. We need to practice just that – by giving our burdens to Jesus – but by also welcoming those who come in the name of Jesus to help us bear our own burdens. We need not face life alone……

Pastor Dave