Theme:  Jesus lifts the heavy burdens of life.  (Two visual themes to choose from.)
“Come onto me all who are weary and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” That simple line is so powerful. These words are sacred.

These words are from the real world of real lives of real people who are members of our parish:

-“When my husband was killed in an industrial accident, it was as heavy a burden as I ever carried, and in that process, God did give me rest. God carried my load and also gave me the strength to carry my load.”

Whoa. What did this woman say? That the death of her husband in an industrial accident was as heavy as burden as she ever carried. God carried her load for her. God gave her the strength to carry her own load. Both words are true: God carried her load for her and also gave her the strength to carry her own load.

“When my husband died much too young, I could not pray because I was numb. I was incapable of praying but my friends lifted me up in prayer, upheld me in prayer, and I knew that I was being lifted up and supported.”

What did this woman say? Her husband died much too young. She was numbed by the process. She was so numb she was incapable of praying. Instead her friends prayed for her. Many people said that, that their friends were the hands and hearts of God for them during the nasty crisis. Yes, we all understand numbness. We all understand helping friends at times like these.

“It seems that we work like crazy in carrying our loads in life, but Jesus is offering a tool to do the job more effectively. Jesus was creating a picture that people could understand. People could understand that he would fashion the well-fitting yoke that would make it easier to carry the loads of life.

Yes, we all work like crazy carrying our loads of life. Some people and families more often than others. We all work like crazy carrying our emotional and physical loads. That is true for all of us. But God has given up spiritual tools to help carry those inevitable loads of life.

God has given us spiritual tools to carry those burdens, tools such as: “I am with you always, to the end of the aged” or “suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope and this hope will not disappoint us” or “carry one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Or “come unto me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” We all work like crazy to carry our own loads, but God has given us tools to help us in these moments of life.

For more of Rev. Edward Markquart’s sermon