Zech. 9:9-10; Rom: 8:9, 11-13;
Mt. 11:25-30
When Jesus taught it was easy
for his listeners to understand his teachings, because Jesus used examples
and imageries from their daily experience. His teachings were centred
around the geography, vegetation, climate and lifestyle of the land.
In today's Gospel Jesus says,
“Come to me.
All who are exhausted and weighted down beneath your burdens,
and I will give you rest….. my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
This is an imagery taken from
the daily association of a farmer who used the yoke, and the carpenter who
made the yoke.
It is a human tendency to
mourn over our inabilities and blame God. It is common in everyone of us.
We look at others talents, blessings, wealth, health and
achievements. In this despair we fail to appreciate our
abilities and talents. When we are tested with trials we ask God Why me?
And we fail to count the innumerable blessings that we have received.
Arthur Ashe, the legendary
Wimbledon player was dying of AIDS which he got due to infected blood he
received during a heart surgery in 1983.
From the world over, he
received letters from his fan, one of them conveyed: "Why does God have to
select you for such a bad disease?".
To this Arthur Ashe replied: The world over--50,000,000 children start playing tennis, 5,000,000 learn to play tennis, 500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam, 50 reach the Wimbledon, 4 to semi-finals, 2 to finals. When I was the one holding the cup, I never asked god "Why me?".
And today in pain, I should not be asking GOD "why me?".
If we can have this
attitude we will not feel that our life is overburdened with problems.
God has designed our life only according to our ability. When we
compare our sufferings with that of others often we find ours problems are nothing. It is very good
remember the quote, "I cried because I had no shoes until I
met a man who had no feet.
Every heavy burden in our
life will become light, if it is accepted in love.
There is an old story which
tells how a man came upon a little boy carrying a still smaller boy, who was
lame, upon his back. "That's a heavy burden for you to carry," said
the man. "That's not burden," came the answer. "That's my
wee brother."
The burden which is accepted
in love and carried in love is always light. A mother never feels bringing
up a child a heavy burden. A mother will never feel spending sleepless
night with the suffering child a burden. A mother will never feel teaching a
little child to walk is a heavy burden. Because it is done out of love. So when
we do things out of love what seems to be heavy burden for others will
become joyful. Modern culture, demands of the society and work
pressure have turned little joys of family into a heavy burden.
Let us take a few
minutes to reflect and see how the little burdens in family can be
turned into acts of joy; how the little challenges at work can be made into
joyful moments. These little acts will make our life happy and meaningful.
Satish