"My Yoke is Easy" (2017-07-09, 14th Sunday)

Sunday July 9, 2017

14^th Sunday, Year A

● Zechariah 9:9:10   ● Psalm 145 ● Romans 8:9, 11-13 ● +Matthew 11:25-30 ●

Title: "My Yoke is Easy. Structure. Silence. Simplicity"

[_01_]  My yoke is easy, my burden is light. Jesus describes our Christina method and Christian way as “easy” and “light.”

Do we not favor – prefer – what is easy, what is light, not heavy?

Now, what is easy? What makes something easy?

If we observe a person who is successful – whether playing tennis at Wimbledon or playing the cello – he or she often makes what is complex appear to be easy or simple.

In fact, the apparent achievement is so easy and simple that we are astounded when such a professional makes an error, a double fault, goes out of bounds or out of tune.

It takes practice to be as “simple” and “successful”  as Serena Williams or Tom Brady or Yo-Yo Ma.

[_02_] Jesus is speaking about simplicity to you and to me. And, he invites us to this simplicity through daily prayer, meditation, practice.

 [_03_]   In addition to SIMPLICITY, I’d like to touch on STRUCTURE and SILENCE in our lives.

[_04_]   STRUCTURE.   Every day, following Jesus, we are asked to follow certain virtues, to purify ourselves.

And, sometimes, we may read these as prohibitions.

In fact, we do the same thing when we think of the STRUCTURE of the natural world or environment. Purity of the water or the ocean is defined by what is NOT present.

And, so for you and I to be purified of sinfulness or evil or injustice, we are also called to avoid certain temptations, certain occasions, certain places. We may are also called to avoid excesses… excess that can hinder our success in the spiritual life.

Certain things that are good – in excess – can be harmful. Certain things that entertain or distract us … could, in excess, not only distract but destroy or break us.

[_05_]  STRUCTURE  reminds us of our identity.

For example:  consider a husband and wife in marriage. They are called to love and serve each other, not only because they love each other but also because they love being married to each other.

They do things for the good of the other. They do things for the good of the relationship.

Some days, they may not like each other … but they will still be identified by a certain structure.

Similarly, is it not true that sometimes we are called to listen to our mother, our father, simply because this is my mother or my father.

Structure.  The way of simplicity.

It is is not always easy. It takes practice.

[_06_]  SILENCE. Silence is the simple way. Do I choose it?

For example, I hear or experience something troubling, my first instinct may be to tell someone.

But, in some cases, I may not be able to tell anyone, or at least not immediately.  This silence, however, invites us into a relationship with our Savior who always wants to hear and to listen.

In a similar way, if someone wants us to keep a secret, we can do so for the same reason that we do not boast about our GPA, or wealth, or intelligence. Modesty. Simplicity.

[_07_]   By following Jesus’ way of structure, silence, and simplicity, we also gain a new freedom, liberty, with his help,

Praying that God will continue to bless our our lives, our country, our world.

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