14th Sunday of year A
I see with the eyes of faith
✠A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 11:25-30
Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’
1. Today’s readings bother on the manner of reacting to reality and events around us. The second reading (Rom8:9’11-23) speaks of spiritual and unspiritual manners of living our lives. The spiritual manner involves seeing things with the eye of faith. This is what we see in the life of Prophet Zachariah in the first reading(Zach9:9-10). Seeing that Israel was surrounded by well equiped powerful enemies, the prophet chose to speak of a time when wars would be won independently of the dangerous weapons of war. He spoke of the King who comes, victoriously riding on a donkey instead of horse of war, a king who is humble and not arrogant. This humble king will banish war and its instruments and restore peace without war.
2. This first reading is the same that is read on palm Sundays and the image corresponds well with the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Jesus was peaceful and yet victorious. When he started his ministry the elites, the high priests, scribes and pharisees did not accept him and his teaching. He ended up with the simple folks. Instead of complaining about those who refused to join him, Jesus preferred to thank God about those who joined him. That is the opening verse of today’s gospel. He praised God for revealing the kingdom to the humble.
3. After praising God for what the unspiritual and worldly minded person may consider a failure of mission, Jesus now addressed the simple folks, inviting them to come to him with their burden and find rest. To assure them of his eagerness to help them, he invited them to take his yoke upon them. This is very important because your getting yoked with someone means that the person will share your strength and weaknesses with you and vice versa. He will help you to carry your burden just as two bulls yoked together cannot but work and walk together. In practical terms, Jesus offers to partner with the simple hearted in all their distress.
4. Today’s readings have a message, namely that God prefers the lowly to the great. This has three practical implications for our christian life:
a. Simplicity of life
In a world where many people want to be seen for whom they are not, the message of Jesus has become a crucial one. Jesus, being God could have entered Jerusalem in a convoy of chariots but he preferred the humble way of the donkey. Today, social packaging is the central attitude for many. People are either afraid or ashamed to be themselves. To meet up with their perceived level, for example, such people send their children to schools where they would always owe school fees, live in houses where they cannot afford the house rent, buy cars that they cannot maintain etc. The result is that they pile up pressure for themselves. Jesus is inviting us today to accept our reality and live with simplicity as he did.
b. Looking at the positive side of things.
There are two sides to every coin. Bad events in life also have good sides. It is only with the eyes of faith that one could discover this. From Jesus we learn that it is better to count our blessings and praise God than to be complaining for what we have not acquired. Instead of lamenting for the opposition from the elites, Jesus praised God for the humble people who follow him. We should do the same.
c. Partnering with Jesus
In Jesus we have a great friend. He has promised to carry our burden with us. It is better to walk patiently with Jesus than to walk fast alone and be crushed by our burden. Walking with Jesus can slow our pace when his teaching goes against our desire. Jesus may delay us but whenever he arrives he will still be on time because he is the master of time and space.
5. It is good for you not to expose your weaknesses before others. It is however better for you to accept reality and live according to your strength in full awareness of your weaknesses. Life is not a competition. It is a journey. Pretending to run fast on a road filled with potholes will only endanger your means of movement. Take life by the positive side and life will be positive for you. Remember that Jesus is your friend and he will never fail you if you partner with him.
©Vitalis Anaehobi, 05/07/26
