Reflection on Matthew 11:28-30

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Beloved in Christ, in this Gospel, the good Lord says, Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light. 

Growing up in an economically challenging environment in Nigeria, I witness the frequent usage of this Gospel passage by preachers on pulpits, over the radio, on television, in public buses, on small and major streets, towns and villages as a sort of “cure-all” for every social, economic, political and industrial ill in the nation. The central claim of these preachers was that an acceptance of Jesus as one’s personal Lord and Savior would guarantee economic breakthrough, success, and flight from suffering and economic hardship. To their infinite credit, these Pentecostal preachers of economic prosperity cleverly used this Gospel passage in a way that got the attention of their audience. Catholics and members of other mainline churches were targeted, persuaded and in some ways brainwashed to abandon their denominations for these new churches with simplistic approaches to solving human problems. As a young person, I heard this brand of Christian message forcefully presented. If you are not strong in your faith, you are likely going to be persuaded. In addition to vivacious preaching, there are people who lined up to testify the “miraculous favors” they had received from God through the preacher. Jesus’ call, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” was simplistically presented as the Lord’s invitation to escape from material poverty. Consequently, people got attracted mostly to the preacher (and in many cases not to Jesus) purely for what the preacher can extract from Jesus’ hands for them—material prosperity, escape from hardship and difficulty. 

Does Jesus care about our material wellbeing? Yes! He multiplied a few loaves of bread and fish to feed a multitude. Can Jesus ensure that his followers are successful in what they do? Yes! After Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James and John spent a fruitless night on the sea looking for fish, it was Jesus who brought success when he came to them in morning and said, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something” (Jn.21:6). The number of fish they caught was overwhelming. Can Jesus heal the sick? O yes. The entire Gospel is littered with stories of the Lord healing the sick, setting demoniacs free, and performing all manners of miracles and amazing deeds. Yes, coming to Jesus can give us a peaceful rest from the worries of this earthly life. However, what is often forgotten is this: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me… My yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Being yoked to Christ means we hand over the control of our lives over to him. Christians who use today’s Gospel passage to support the “all crown and no cross” view are mistaken. The good Lord has not promised us total and complete freedom from suffering. “Take my yoke and learn from me” is rather a freedom from the self. Undress and remove the ego, the selfishness, all egotistic tendencies and behaviors and put on Jesus’ yoke. The yoke of Jesus is repentance and faith followed by a singular commitment to follow him. What makes the Lord’s yoke easy and burden light is his grace and favor. His total obedience to the Father, his suffering, death and resurrection is what guarantees our salvation. Faith in him is a much lighter yoke and a much easier burden to carry than the burdensome yoke of self-righteousness. It is much easier to be saved by the merciful Jesus than to be saved by your self-righteousness. Remember, no one can save himself or herself (Ps. 49:8).