Woe to you, for you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them.
Jesus is critical of those who load burdens on others, whether that is through greed and wickedness, the neglect of justice, a love of pride and prestige, or a multiplication of rules and regulations (Luke 11.42-46). Elsewhere he utters similar woes on any who put stumbling-blocks before the little ones who believe in him, saying it would be better to have a great millstone were fastened around your neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea than to do so. Woe to the world because of stumbling-blocks, he says, and woe to the one by whom the stumbling-block comes (Matthew 18.6 & 7).
Jesus has a beef with any who, by their words and actions, make faith more difficult for others to accept and practice.
As we reflect on these statements, it is important to remember that the people Jesus criticised were the religious leaders of his day. So, we need to respond to passages like these by asking ourselves what are some of the stumbling blocks to faith put before people today by the Church and what are the burdens that the Church loads on those who seek to follow?
Such things are not that hard to find and identify because they are main issues that those who don’t come to church commonly raise when speaking about the church: hypocrisy - that those who go to church say one thing but do another; a lack of hospitability – that a welcome is not genuinely extended to all; and bigotry – that certain groups of people are excluded simply because of who they are.
Jesus was so critical of those who load burdens on others and place stumbling blocks before others, because he was the great burden-bearer and the great remover of stumbling blocks.
‘Come to me,’ Jesus famously said, ‘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 11.28-30)
Then, on the cross, he takes the weight of the world onto his own shoulders and bears our sins and troubles – our burdens – that we might no longer do so.
As a result, we can go to him with any burden and ask that he bear with us and for us. There are some wonderful songs based on just that realisation:
“A rocky road, a heavy load
Got you wonderin' if you'll ever get over
Your journey's slow, your faith is low
And you wonder who will take the time
To get you back on your feet, turn your bitter to sweet
Jesus knows all the burdens you must bear
He will take time to care
Anybody got a heart that will not mend
Are you tryin' to live a life you can't defend
Are you in a battle that you just can't win
Bring it to Jesus
Anybody got a problem they can't solve
Anybody got a hole in their resolve
Remember in His hand the world revolves
Bring it to Jesus”
“What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!”
“Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.”
“Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer”
Let us avail ourselves constantly of the support that Jesus offers and so go to the Lord in prayer. But let us also remember that just as he calls for us not to load burdens on others or to place stumbling blocks in their way, so he also calls us to join him in bearing the burdens of others, as our own burdens are themselves borne by him. Amen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philip Bailey - Bring It To Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment