Rejoicing to see God Again, 14th Sunday Ordinary Time, Year A

Zech 9:9-10, Mt 11:25-30

Today I want to think about us rejoicing when we see someone again, and especially today, when we see God again -here in church.

I saw my parents recently.  I hadn’t been with them for 4 months, in this lockdown.

-we very naturally rejoiced

-we, here in Church, after so long, should naturally rejoice too.

 

Thinking more specifically, our first reading told us to rejoice.

It says:

Rejoice, because He comes (Zech 9:9).

Actually, in our case, it is us who come to Him, for the first time in months.

But the points applies nonetheless

What is He like? This One who comes?

Humble,

            Riding on a donkey -not a BMW, or an ancient chariot

Humility puts others before ourselves.  

And this One who is God, somehow, comes for OUR benefit, not His benefit - to save us, to help us

Then, linking to our Gospel text , 

He calls the “weary and heavy laden”(Mt 11:28).

He takes our yoke and invites us to take His yoke

And what does He offer us, promise us?  He promises:

“Rest”, rest for “the weary”

Well, I am weary of this lockdown, 

weary of this fear, 

weary of this lack of normality 

-He promises rest for my weariness 

 

How do I gain that rest?

By bringing it all to Him.

Not carrying the load alone

In an ancient Palestine yoke there would have been two cows yoked together, side by side 

-so this image implies Him alongside us, 

we don’t carry our weariness alone.

He KNOWS what weariness is like

-tired, walking the country of Palestine

-tired, dealing to endless complaining people 

-weary, in the agony in the garden

-burdened, as He carried our load on the Cross.

He invites us to bring our weariness, 

and be yoked alongside Him.

 

Even humanly, sharing a load, sharing a yoke another, makes it so much easier.

Even humanly, for many of us, a phone call, a video call, has made this lockdown easier.

Even more so when the one we are ‘yoking to’ understands us not partially but FULLY

Loves us not partially but FULLY

 

Today in our nation there are many thing to rejoice in:

The pubs are open!

We might also rejoice in seeing other parishioners today -which is a true cause to rejoice.

But, I’d suggest to you, the DEEPEST reason to rejoice today is that we are here again WITH GOD.

Rejoice, your saviour comes to you

-and, once again, after so long, we can come to Him.