Psalms 26,28 * 36,39; Lamentations 1:1-5(6-9)10-12; 1 Corinthians 15:41-50; Matthew 11:25-30We had a Blessing of a civil marriage recently. These two individuals had previously yoked each to the other in the eyes of the state and then they came to their spiritual home to be yoked to each other before God and their family and friends.
Yoked is not usually used when referring to marriage and blessings, but it actually is a great image - two people tied together, working together and yet being guided by a power that is often beyond our comprehension. A couple's love for each other, as expressed in our formalized service of blessing is a tangible way to articulate God's love for us as mirrored in that relationship being blessed.
These yokes that Jesus is referring to in today's Gospel reading are custom made for the creature to which they belong. Otherwise, they would chafe the animal and make the long term work for which they are being utilized impossible to complete. The same is true for each of us: God knows us and provides us with burdens and work that may seem impossible to bear, but with God's help, they never are.
jfd+
Copyright 2009, The Rev. John F. Dwyer. All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment