Jesus made two statements that seem contradictory. First, we are to pick up our cross and follow Him and the other, His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Clearly, those are at least contradictory on the surface.
The cross we carry is us. It is our egos, our pride, our defensiveness, and our rights that we have to empty ourselves of. This is hard because it isn’t what many of us are taught or in any case what we learn as we come of age in this world.
Jesus makes the comment about His yoke after telling His disciples just how hard their lot is going to be. Sending out the Twelve, Jesus tells them not to take any supplies, not to take any pay for what they will be doing – freely you received, freely give – and by the way, there are going to be a lot of people who will make your life considerably difficult. It is in this context that He says that a disciple isn’t above His master and that it is sufficient to be like your master. Then, if they hated me, you can bet they’re going to hate you. They will drag you before the officials and they will be your own family members – it may well not be peaceful and comfortable as a follower of Jesus. In fact for the Twelve, it won’t be. You’re not better than your master, after all.
But don’t worry, God will be with you and tell you what to say. Whoever perseveres through this troublesome life will be saved. If you’re one of the Twelve, what are you thinking at this point, because this doesn’t sound like the life of Messiah’s followers?
Now, after Jesus rehearses just how hard this is going to be – beatings, jailings, betrayals by your own parents and kids, and even death – He tells them that His yoke is easy and burden, light.
Really?
Yes, apparently.
During this discourse, Jesus also tells us that what He is saying is confusing; it doesn’t fit the paradigm we think we know. In our world, getting ahead, taking care of Number One, having and gaining even more power and wealth is the way it’s supposed to work. And if we’re in that position, it makes perfect sense. Of course, that’s the way the world works – just look at me.
But Jesus has also told us that the people who were supposed to recognize Him, who were supposed to be shepherding Israel were using the wrong paradigm. The kingdom of God isn’t about power at all. But you have to believe Jesus just like a child might believe her parents – just trust and you will be saved, even if what you are trusting seems completely improbable.
Here’s the secret though. You won’t grasp the ease and lightness of following Jesus unless you try it. Unless you are willing to actually live the life Jesus calls you to, you will never understand just how easy and light it is. Oh, you might not – you probably won’t have - a lot of power this world understands, but you will come to know the peace and the goodness and the rightness of becoming like Jesus. But this life isn’t about doing stuff as the principal concern. More important than the doing is the why. Jesus does what He does and He calls us to take up our cross because He and we love people. We don’t empty ourselves because we hate ourselves, but because we love others. Our emptying isn’t some psychological masochism born of mental illness, but a healthy, considered, and intentional caring for others.
This is how His burden is easy and light because it arises from love. Love isn’t free of pain, free of frustration, free of setbacks, but it is consistent, it is freeing, it is fulfilling. Because it is who we really are; who we are made and called to be. There is no life easier to live than who you really are.
You are Love. Well, you are Love at your core and you are called to become most fully that very Love that God is. We become Love not by thinking about it, not even watching Jesus. No, we become Love only by living it. The more we live Love, the clearer it becomes and the easier it is. The yoke and burden that seemed almost crazy to begin with, become well, simply right. If we stick with it, we will come to know – in our bones – that this is the best – the only – way to live. We will have the peace the disciples were to grant to households who received them. We will be able to say with Jesus that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Carrying our cross can be off-putting and daunting but it leads to the easiest yoke and lightest burden we can ever hope to have.
As Nike has said, “just do it,” and you will come to know the truth.
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