God's Heart in His Word
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. -Matthew 11:28
Reflect
Have you ever read a verse of Scripture or listened to a particular story in the Gospels and wondered, "What is Jesus talking about?! This _____ cannot possibly be as simple as He explains it!"
The verse to guide our prayer today from the Gospel of St. Matthew is one such verse for me.
I did not grow up on a farm and am not familiar with how fields are tended and plowed. Several years ago, I was praying with today’s verse and trying to understand what Jesus possibly had to say to me. As I sat in the stillness, I saw an image in my mind of two oxen pulling the plow. One ox was much bigger and stronger, and there was a smaller, lesser-abled ox next to the stronger one.
Most farmers will tell you that that match is never a good idea, but stay with me.
As the image developed in my Christian imagination, Jesus came and stood beside me as the oxen pulled the plow in the field. Jesus told me that He was the larger ox, and I was the smaller one.
"I will carry the heavier load for you," Jesus gently reminded me. "You only have to keep moving forward. Don’t look behind you. Just know I will carry the heavy load."
Just as Jesus met me in my imagination, He desires to remind you that He wants to (and will!) carry the heavy load for you. The situation may not resolve the way you want, but His presence can be found amid the heavy loads in our lives. All we have to do is ask Him to walk alongside us.
Let Us Pray
Jesus, You do not want me to fall apart under the heavy burdens I place on myself or that life throws at me. You want to ease that load, to carry and shoulder my suffering and pain. Help me to invite You in and to allow You to be Lord over the things in life that wear me down or feel heavy and burdensome. Amen.
For Discussion
Where in you life, family, ministry, relationships, or community are there heavy burdens you don't know how to carry or resolve?
Are you willing to invite Jesus to come and shoulder that concern or issue for you? Why or why not?
In His Heart: The 2020 Prayer Pledge // Day 6 #BISblog #prayerpledge //Click to tweet
Patty Breen serves as Ministry Formation Manager of Ascension Health and writes online in several different spaces. Her loves include CrossFit, writing and speaking, strong cups of coffee, Ignatian spirituality, and loving on her godchildren, niece, and nephew. Patty is passionate about messy and deep conversations at the intersection of faith, culture, and ministry. Find out more about her here.
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