Rejections
The Gospel for the 8th Sunday after Pentecost
July 6, 2008
Matthew 11:16-19 (20-24) 25-30
16“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 17‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; 19the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
(20Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent. 21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24But I tell you that on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.” )
25At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Those verses 20-24 won't be read on Sunday, but in some ways they enlighten the rest of the Scripture selection. Just prior to this selection, John the Baptist (Jesus cousin who is in jail at this point) sends some of his disciples to check out to see if Jesus is the real thing. The Messiah he had been working to get people ready for.
When John's disciples leave, Jesus uses the opportunity to teach those around him - and lifts up John's role in his ministry. But, then Jesus complains about all those who do not accept the Good News that has come into the world. All those who have seen miracles and not responded - all those near whom the Kingdom of God has come...who do nothing, and certainly do not repent. He likens these people to children in the marketplace who don't play along with games of weddings and funerals (flute and dancing - like Jesus who eats and drinks/ and wailing and mourning - like John the Baptist who abstains from eating and drinking). The cities he's named have not responded, even though Jesus has been performing miracles in their midst.
Then he goes into this lovely Jewish prayer - and ends with an image of taking on his yoke. Carrying it with him. A yoke that will make you follow along with Jesus, but whose heaviness isn't too difficult to handle.
So, ComeUnity bloggers - how are we (as individuals/as a city or other group) like those who rejected Jesus and John the Baptist? When do we not see God's kingdom at work?
What does it mean to you to take up Jesus' yoke? Is it an image that connects for you?
Hello everyone at Unity, I pray all things are well with you.
I have a question. Pastor you mentioned that a part where Jesus asks us to take up his yoke is a Jewish prayer. I was just wondering how or if Jesus changed the original prayer. Was the original take my yoke or was it take God's yoke? This give just another level of depth to this scripture.
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I know that I reject Jesus every day:
when I prejudge someone based on appearance, or race, or sex, or other ways,
when I automatically take offense, or feel hurt, or rejected, when I'm actually misunderstanding, or misinterpreting, or mis-hearing, or mis-reading a situation or communication, not giving the benefit of the doubt (and I've done this so often, and so often been proved wrong, that you'd think I'd learn by now, but I haven't),
when I don't respond selflessly to the real needs of others, whether immediate and local (right in front of me) or distant (but often just as immediate, just as legitimate).
I think a lot of these failings would apply to other groups, communities, and our country. Of course, not all have heard the good news of God's kingdom, so there's a responsibility I have in that as well, in not taking opportunities to share that news.
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Hi Patrick,
The part about the yoke isn't actually in the form of a Jewish prayer, but verses 25-27 are. It's after the prayer that Jesus offers the imagery of the yoke. I'm not sure how yoke imagery at that time would connect.
Thanks for the question!
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It is so easy to reject God when things in life Go so bad and you expect some kind of miraculous breakthrough and none is given or perhaps one is but very small and not in the way you might have prayed for it.One example is as christians growing up in the apostolic pentecostal church a woman was diagnosed with cancer. She lived pretty long before she had it and raised her children with her pastor husband and even became a grandmother; but when she was diagnosed with cancer all the christians in the church prayed over her and truly expected a genuine healing of the cancer; however, none was given, at least not in the physical realm. She died a little while later leaving behind a very hurt and empty husband and family. I heard a few christians talking amongst themselves questioning why God did not heal this woman of her cancer and why would he leave this poor pastor husband to become hurt and lonely in his life. I remember thinking that she had a pretty long life and that God does not always answer prayers in the way they think and it doesn't mean God's kingdom is not at work. This is what I truly believe brings on a falling away from God and the church is people's wrong perspective and expectations of God.Also some of the ways people preach God; what we are to expect and what he actually delivers can be two very different ideas which leave people really wondering about the true existance of God.
My belief of taking up Christ's yoke is taking up your cross and bearing the weight of it. I can't say that it is an image that connects for me because what ever it is my cross to carry or taking up Christ's yoke for the most part seems like I always am fighting it and don't care to bear it at all.
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