Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus said to the crowds:

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,

for I am meek and humble of heart;

and you will find rest for yourselves.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, my deepest desire is to enter into your divine rest. I will work my entire life in your vineyard to enjoy the rest of the eternal Sabbath. Grant me true humility to know who I truly am. Help me to grow as your child and be the servant of my brothers and sisters.

Encountering the Word of God

1. I Will Give You Rest: In the Old Testament, Isaiah prophesied that God would give strength to the fainting (Isaiah 40:29). A person can faint on a long journey. Isaiah envisioned the people of God returning from exile and needing strength for their journey. The idea of earthly life as a pilgrimage and heaven as our destination and rest is found symbolically throughout the entire Bible. Adam and Eve are invited to share in God’s rest on the Seventh Day. The people of Israel sought rest when they entered the Promised Land. David began to prepare to build the Temple when the people had rest from their enemies. The promise of divine rest remained even after the people built the Temple. Only Jesus can satisfy the promise of divine rest originally offered to Adam and Eve and re-offered to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Joshua, who led the people into the Promised Land, and David, who conquered Israel’s enemies in the Promised Land, did not fulfill the promise of divine rest. Only Jesus, the New Joshua and royal Son of David, can bring us to share in the rest of divine life.

2. Take My Yoke Upon You: Advent is the season where we contemplate the first humble coming (or advent) of Jesus and prepare for his second glorious coming (advent). And yet, as we await Jesus’ second coming, today’s Gospel invites us to go to Jesus. Jesus himself invites us with the words, “Come to me!” We don’t normally associate waiting for someone with traveling towards them. And yet this is an Advent image: longing to encounter the person we are journeying towards. At the same time, Jesus is with us and gives us rest along the way. The paradoxes in today’s Gospel continue: We are to shoulder the yoke of Christ, and somehow, this image of undertaking heavy work leads to rest. Unlike the yoke of the Pharisees, which burdens the people and blocks the way to heaven, the yoke of Jesus is light and leads gently to eternal life.

3. Learn From Me: When we contemplate what Jesus does for us through his humility and meekness, we are not to remain passive and merely admire the virtues and qualities of Jesus. We are not to be content with contemplating what Jesus has done for us. Jesus urges us: “Learn from me.” We ourselves are to practice humility and spiritual gentleness. Taking on the yoke of Christ means shouldering the burden of others, alleviating their suffering, and being a source of encouragement for our brothers and sisters. The opposite of humility is pride, which leads to all sorts of vices and estrangement from God and others. If humility is the truth about who we are, pride is a lie. The prideful think that they are greater than they actually are. They look down on others and think that they are better than the rest. The prideful are confident in their own works and don’t see the need for God, his grace, and his help. The humble, by contrast, see themselves truly as children of God and as servants of their brothers and sisters.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, true God and true man, thank you for bringing me to share in your divine life. You are truly meek and humble of heart. I can always learn from you and become more and more like you in my thoughts, words, and actions.

Living the Word of God: How can I practice humility of heart and gentleness of spirit today? What does being meek and gentle concretely look like? Is there a person who tends to rile me up and needs me to be gentle with them rather than abrasive? How has God been patient with me? How can I imitate that same merciful patience?