Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).

Scripture scholar, Fr. Daniel J. Harrington, SJ, states that in this passage Jesus’ invitation was given to those who are not yet his disciples, those Jews who do not yet believe in him and his way. He also intuits that Jesus is calling them from the heavy burdens laid upon them by the scribes and Pharisees and inviting them to accept his burden that is lighter (cf. The Gospel of Matthew, 167). We can read this in Matthew 4:3: “They tie up heavy burdens [hard to carry] and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.”

The key to the conviction that Jesus levels against the Pharisees is that they impose the law, but do nothing to assist those they are teaching. I would say the demands of Jesus are even more challenging than those of the Pharisees, Sadducees, or the scribes! I shared yesterday one of the six antitheses, here is another: “You have heard that it was said… whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to the judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna” (Mt5:21-22). Jesus is equating calling someone Raqa – an air-head, or calling someone a fool akin to murder. Our words can destroy or empower! We need to choose our words wisely.

The difference between Jesus and the religious leadership is that Jesus, the Son of God in the fullness of his divinity, has entered the chaos of our humanity, as a fully human being and walks among us and suffers along with us. He offers to yoke himself to us and so carry the burden with us, making it lighter. Many impose burdens on us, we impose burdens on others, as did the Pharisees. We also impose them on ourselves and turn away from the invitation of Jesus’ help.

A handful of injuries I have suffered through the years were because I attempted to lift or carry something beyond my strength, instead of seeking assistance from another. I can do it, I don’t need any help! That is just the physical; there are also the mental and emotional burdens of anxiety, doubt, pride, fear, worry. This is not Jesus’ way. He offers a path for us to follow that leads us to joy and peace in this life and fulfillment in the next. No matter what pain, suffering, trial or challenge you are facing right now, you do not have to go through it alone. You just need to remember to reach out your hand to Jesus. You will find his hand already waiting there to grasp yours.

Let us take our first step together today, hand in hand with Jesus, and so find rest in knowing we are not alone! Also, may we be kind to those in our midst with our words, actions and faces. We are not aware of the burdens they carry. A simple smile can make a heavy load just a little lighter.
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Mass readings for today, Thursday, July 20, 2017:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/072017.cfm