BIBLICAL REFLECTIONS

COME TO ME ALL YOU THAT ARE OVERBURDENED (Matt. 11:28)

No one can claim to be burden-free. Everyone has got his or her load to carry. In daily experiences of life, the reality of burden is felt. No one can comfortably deny such a reality. Each one of us has got some duties or various forms of responsibilities that weigh us down and cause us worry and difficulties. This is the sense of burden seen in normal experiences of life. Let’s say this is burden in terms of responsibilities that one has got to bear. The sense of burden can be further understood if broken into specifics. It can be seen in terms of material load. In this sense, such statements are noticed: “Oh!, this load (luggage, box, etc.) is heavy on me”. In this reality, one can be over-burdened out of his freewill while others are meant to carry theirs under duress (i.e, out of compulsion). In both, while some burdens (loads, responsibilities) fit the persons who bear them, some others become really burdensome. Hence they (material load, function, etc.) cause great distress, worry and difficulty.

It is in this understanding of the reality of burden that we can appreciate the fact of the material and the spiritual characters and implications of the term burden. Burdensomeness (heavy-laden) cannot be limited only to matter; neither can it be focused only upon the spiritual. Both are inter-twined and tend to affect the person. No sound mind exists in an unhealthy body and still remains vibrant, biologically speaking. Whether connected with matter or with life in the spirit, or with the mind, the sense of burden encompasses matter, the psyche and the spirit. All these explanations, notwithstanding, we here point out that our choice of the expression of ‘being burden’ as the closest translation for the Greek πεφορτίσμενοί does not in any way affect the spirit of the paper. We, in this paper, employ the term consequent upon the actual topic of our write-up. Of course, we do not intend to enter into the exegetical intricacies of terms associable with the topic. Yet, we do not side-track the sense and context of the biblical writer.

Going ahead to this biblical statement, how do we discover more the context and the meaning of this invitation by Christ: come to me all you that are over-burdened? Did the environment or his culture influence this statement? Surely, we cannot repudiate this fact. Barclay W. comments that “the orthodox Jew religion was a thing of burdens” (Barclay W., The Daily Study of the Bible: The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 2, Bangalore: Rheka Printers, 2006, p. 16). The religion of the Jews was something of nearly uncountable rules. People live their lives in the observation of many rules. He must always ask what the law has got to say. Barclay made reference to books of Deuteronomy 24:19.8:24, Leviticus 19:19, and Numbers 18:14, as some of the examples of how rules are made arbitrarily in Judaism. My studies of the Torah also bequeath it unto me that there are six hundred and thirteen (613: 248 negatives – the do’s, and 365 positives – the don’ts) rules, regulations and commandments recorded. What has one got to say then of those not recorded? Indeed, these demands were burdensome to the people. Little wonder Jesus told the scribes and the Pharisees that they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulder (Matt. 23:4); and to the lawyers, he said that they load on  people burdens hard to bear (Luke 11:46). Hence, Jesus invites the over-burdened to come. He was aware of the many laws that weighed them down, and that the strict observance of them sometimes if deviated from results to sin. He was also aware of burdens created by material insufficiency. That was why he was moved with pity to feed the thousands upon thousands of people (cf. Matt. 14:13-21).

But how can we evaluate the necessity of this invitation by Christ? Those invited here are the ones that have really experienced and believed that they are heavy-laden. It is the sick that needs the doctor (cf. Mark 2:17). One can trivialize his/her burden, even though the burden remains heavy on him/her. Some others do not easily come to an awareness of their situation. Some others reject such invitations to be helped, while some others still tend to become obstacles to those who happily desire to honour the invitation. In this line, Raoul opines that the spontaneous contact with God is the result of our conformation to His will. Arguing from Christ’s injunction: Seek, and ye will find, he expounds further that there are those who will not seek, nor make themselves seek at the price of hard work and continual perseverance, and these will never find the treasure (Raoul P., S.J. Christ in our Time, Newman Press: Westminster, Maryland, 1953, p.80). First of all, this invitation implies for us that it is through Jesus that we can go to the Father because no one knows the Father (cf. Matt. 11:27). It is through Jesus that we begin dealing with the Father in Spirit and in truth and in the participation of the divine life. Another way of viewing this call is to look at the exceeding verse (Matt. 11:29). Here, Jesus invites us to take his yoke. By accepting the yoke of Christ and by placing the yoke upon us or our load, Christ offers us a viable means of relieving our pains in picking up our cross in our followership of him.

Generally, burdens affect the vibrancy and alacrity of our spiritual life. Consequently, there is a great deal of fear, sadness and discouragement and so violence increases. Violence is a sign of loss of the sight of truth, of forgetfulness, of justice and of loss of love; by it a lack of spiritual strength is clearly shown (cf. Cardinal Eduardo P., Joyful in Hope, St. Pauls publications: England, 1978, p. 160). But what does Christ have in mind to offer those who are heavy-loaded and that have come to him? The second part of the verse clarifies it: and I will give you rest. He will refresh us. This is the consequence of a proper and positive response to the divine invitation. This is the rest that the world cannot give. This rest breeds the peace that no man can offer. Only Christ can. We are constantly called just to respond adequately. This rest can only come to us when we believe in the power of him that has lightened our burdens and that has given us rest. Constancy in trust and consistency in belief, coupled with total abandonment to the divine will are the ingredients of what is expected of anyone who has responded to the invitation. We must persist in these so as to remain light (not heavy).

Remember, no one who puts his hand on a plough and looks back is worthy. We must realize that the one who invites us is ever ready to make us light and to give us rest. His grace is boundless. We must co-operate with his operative grace that showers down on us and at same time inherent in us. Do not forget that he promises us that whosoever that comes to Him will never be cast away (cf. John 6:37) In life situations, there may be burdens which take on various forms; of sin, of law, of insatiability and needs, of problems, etc. Here, we remember the question of St. Paul concerning that which can separate us from God. Indeed, those enumerations in Romans 5: 35 are actually burdens unto our lives. But we should also recall that we are more than conquerors in all these, for Christ is with us. Even though we may become slaves to the law or to sin (which may be considered as a consequence of a disobedience of the law), be happy still for sin is not your master, because you are  not under the law but under grace (Rom. 6:14). Since we are now under grace, we should no longer be slaves to sin (Rom. 6:15). We are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness (Rom. 6:18), rest and peace that Christ has offered us.

Even when life problems, sickness, misfortunes, disappointments, afflictions pose themselves as burdens unto us, we are reminded not to despair and always to go to the crucified Jesus who hangs on the Cross enthroned with arms outstretched to embrace, head bent to kiss, and heart open to love (apologies to Fulton J. Sheen), with hands extended always eager to embrace us. Remember, Christ was never recorded to have relegated the downtrodden or the rejected in the society of his time. He cared for and cured the persons he met when he was spreading the message of the kingdom. He accepted those that came to him, no matter the circumstance or condition, even on the Sabbath (a day loaded with many prohibitions). He removed these burdens from these people. At this point, we ask ourselves: how have you worked to lighten the burdens of people? As Christians, and as such followers of Christ, we ought to imitate Him also in his care, compassion and sympathy for the troubled. We should learn to help others, and to bear one another’s’ burdens just as the apostle, Paul instructs. Christ bore ours. He took risks for us. He died for us. What greater love does a man have than to lay down his life for his friends? (cf. John15:13). He is ever disposed to help us and to have us back; thus we should not relent in rushing towards him with our burdens.

Ezekoka Peter ONYEKACHI