I AM WHO AM. I WILL LIBERATE YOU

July 15, Thursday

FIFTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

 

      We pay special attention today to the first reading, in which God reveals his name to Moses. God is he who is, he who is beyond any name, but who will also be known by what he does for his people, the God who told Moses: “I will lead my people out of their misery to a land flowing with milk and honey.” He is the liberating God, whose yoke is a burden of love. God is still this God for us today: totally other, and yet nearer to the human heart than anyone else can be, because he gave us our human liberty, respects it and loves us.

      The gospel assures us that Jesus is with us and that we can go to him with our burdens and questions. The weak and the poor are open to the love of Jesus, for they are aware that they are fragile and vulnerable. He will give them rest and make them aware that what Jesus asks of them is a light burden, for it is carried in love. They will find rest in him.

 

First Reading: Exodus 3:13-20

Then Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the People of Israel and I tell them, ‘The God of your fathers sent me to you’; and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What do I tell them?”

God said to Moses, “I-AM-WHO-I-AM. Tell the People of Israel, ‘I-AM sent me to you.’”

God continued with Moses: “This is what you’re to say to the Israelites: ‘God, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob sent me to you.’ This has always been my name, and this is how I always will be known.

“Now be on your way. Gather the leaders of Israel. Tell them, ‘God, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I’ve looked into what’s being done to you in Egypt, and I’ve determined to get you out of the affliction of Egypt and take you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, a land brimming over with milk and honey.”’

“Believe me, they will listen to you. Then you and the leaders of Israel will go to the king of Egypt and say to him: ‘God, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness where we will worship God—our God.’

“I know that the king of Egypt won’t let you go unless forced to, so I’ll intervene and hit Egypt where it hurts—oh, my miracles will send them reeling!—after which they’ll be glad to send you off.

 

Gospel: Matthew 11:28-30

Said Jesus, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

 

Prayer

Unknowable God,
you are the God whom we know
by what you do for us.
God, give us eyes and hearts to see
how much you care for us, your people.
Be with us, live in us,
that we may live for you and one another
with the same respectful love
with which you have set us free
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Reflection:

The Yoke of Jesus

Jesus addresses those “who labour and are burdened” and promises rest. Indeed, He places Himself among them, because He carries the burden of the Cross. And in Chapter 16 we would also read, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him take up his cross and follow me” (Mt.16:24). The Cross of Jesus needs to be understood as his love for the humanity. He accepted the Cross not as a punishment, rather as the ultimate expression of love.

The evangelist Matthew cleverly presents a distinction between the yoke of Jesus and the yoke of the Law. A yoke is a heavy, and panful piece of wood laid on the shoulders of an ox to pull the weight of the cart and to keep the ox on track, preventing it from straying away. The rabbis present the Law of Mosses as a yoke which helped the Israel from straying away from Yahweh. But as centuries have passed, the Law became an instrument for the priests, scribes and pharisees to oppress the ordinary people. Thus the Law became a burden. Through the words of Jesus, Matthew is addressing his fellow-Jews who are crushed under the heavy burdens of the yoke of the Mosaic Law.

Under them, it was next to impossible not to put a foot wrong somewhere. The law demanded scrupulous observation of the tiniest obligation. It is to these people that Jesus offers a lighter yoke. William Barclay suggests that it was quite common to have double yokes when two animals pulled a vehicle together. Jesus is offering to share his yoke with us. He and I will pull together and he will share the burden with me.

Jesus does not say that if we go to him that we will have no more troubles, no more pain, no more disappointments… There will be “yokes” to carry but Jesus offers to carry them with us. When children are so protected by doting parents that their every whim is answered and every negative feeling anticipated, what do we end up with? Spoiled brats. Jesus will not spoil us in that way. The challenges of life are necessary for us to grow and mature. But they are easier to bear when he carries them with us, when we know that we are never alone in our difficulties and sorrows.

To follow Jesus is not to carry a great weight but to experience a great sense of liberation. If we have not found that experience yet then we are not yet carrying the yoke of Jesus.

 

Video available on Youtube: The Yoke of Jesus