Sorry for the wait... here's the sermon from Tuesday the 18th.

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Readings: Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19, Psalm 102:12-22, Mat 11:28-30

Today's gospel reading is one of my favorite scriptural examples of Christ the healer. This short passage has led to volumes of writing, lifetimes of study and work, countless artistic interpretations, and has inspired millions of Christians over the centuries.

The message is so simply put, so concise, yet has countless applications throughout our lives and ministry in the world.

Looking today at Christ's words in terms of their healing context, we are reminded of Christ's healing touch, his gentleness, his compassion, and his loving, humble heart.

In Christ the healer we see the Messiah – the king of heaven and earth – instead of claiming earthly sovereign power like every other king on earth, taking on our yoke of sin and suffering in order to offer us wholeness and healing.

The Jewish Law – set down in the 10 commandments and much of the Torah – was the primary yoke set upon the Israelites. In addition, the Jews of Jesus time already had centuries of teaching on the law, with the Pharisees working hard to keep the law applicable to contemporary life of that time. As you might have surmised from Jesus' encounters with the Pharisees of his time, the "Law" had become downright oppressive.

There were laws of purity, laws against doing anything considered work on the Sabbath, laws defining the hierarchy of family and society, laws defining the structures of power, laws defining how one could talk to God and seek forgiveness, laws defining how much one would have to pay in livestock and burnt offerings in order to receive that forgiveness, laws defining what one could wear, to whom one could speak, what one could eat, what one could touch and still remain "clean," the list goes on and on. But to be considered amongst God's chosen people, it was worth it to play it safe. God was a jealous God and while his yoke was heavy, the resulting protections and promises were worth it!

Jesus repeatedly showed through his words and actions his disregard for many of what the Pharisees considered "Laws." He healed on the Sabbath, he and his disciples ate without washing their hands, he associated with outcasts and sinners, and even Samaritan women of ill repute! He undermined the traditional hierarchies by teaching and befriending women, slaves, and children. He redefined family through spiritual criteria rather than biological. He encouraged his followers to personally pray to God and to seek forgiveness even without burnt offerings. And he demonstrated his phenomenal power through humble service to the lowly, the sick, and the oppressed. What kind of messiah was this? No kind at all if you asked the scriptural interpreters of his time. Christ's teachings and actions were radical enough to be considered blasphemous to the religious leaders of ancient Israel. The messiah was supposed to be a great king – to restore the throne of David, a great and mighty leader whose yoke, though as heavy as the Law itself had become, would yet be worth it for the freedom of Israel from the tyranny of Rome. Under his authority, God's laws handed down through Moses would be enforced and thus fulfilled.

Instead, Christ the healer teaches us a new commandment – to love. Through practicing God's love in our lives, all the other laws would come naturally. Christ had no intention of doing away with the law – but rather fulfilling it through teaching us this amazing love.

Christ the healer comes to us today with the offer of a new understanding of God's creation. Throwing off the yoke of oppression, the yoke of what was then the traditional Jewish hierarchy, the weighty yoke of centuries of interpretation of the Law, our gentle, humble messiah offers us an amazing alternative…

If we are to learn from this humble and gentle heart, we too will find not only rest and healing of our physical weariness, but more importantly, we will find spiritual rest – as Christ says, rest for our souls.

In turning his contemporary systems of oppression on their heads, Christ relocates those at the bottom of the heap, carrying the heaviest burdens in society and the world, to the top. As followers of Christ, we are invited to join in on this amazing experience of spiritual healing. All we have to do is take a close look at how Christ teaches us to live – finding our motivations in love, compassion, mercy, and grace, rather than in the materialism, fear, and greed of our own contemporary society, and stepping out in the courage of the Holy Spirit to serve those around us rather than seeking to be served – this is Christ's yoke. It is a yoke of radical freedom through practicing unconditional love. It is not an easy yoke to take on, but once it is accepted, it is not only light to carry, but is indeed also light in that same sense that Christ is the light of the world!

May we seek always to learn from the gentle, humble, heart of our healing messiah- Christ, and through his teachings find ourselves living out God's love in the world.

Amen.