Recently on a trip to Napa Ca. with my wife for a short getaway. We went to a great winery that was built to look like a 16th century castle. Can’t tell you much about the wine but the castle was fun as we walked around the courtyards and up the stairs through the halls and balconies into the tunnels we imagined what life might have been like to live in the era. As we were leaving we came across some sheep. They were bleating out with loud cries, it was early evening so I’m sure it must have been time to eat. My wife is a lover of animals so she grabbed some nearby grape leaves and fed them. Another couple walked up with who had an older very small dog. The owner told us he had very bad eye sight. She wanted to let her dog smell the sheep but was afraid the sheep might bite her dog. Janice and I have been around sheep over the years so we were accustom their mannerisms. Janice proceeded to inform the lady her dog was indeed safe but to watch her pup because it would be more likely that he would be more aggressive toward the sheep. Janice went on to tell the couple that the sheep were very docile animals and nearsighted and had to flock together or they would get lost easily (not being the most intelligent animals) Then she went on to tell the couple that is why Jesus related to us as the sheep of his pasture because we had the tendency to not be of good eye sight and get lost all too often straying from the paths he set before us knowing what is always best for us.
Today I was reading Matthew 11:28-30. Jesus tells us to come to him when we are taking on too much of a burden when we are worn out and overwhelmed with the involvement of life and we get consumed with the necessary activity of living. He tells us that we should take his yoke on us because his burden is light and he desires to give us rest.
I thought about those sheep at the castle in Napa, about the conversation or should I say the accurate and gentle loving evangelistic teaching of my wife to some strangers that God brought to her that day as she expressed her knowledge of his thoughtful love. I thought of how we like sheep get so involved with the activity that is right in front of us not realizing how heavy we make life by taking on everything ourselves in our strength getting so overwhelmed we burn out then crash and burn. I have been on the verge of crashing and burning for the past few months. Life can be demanding and service
to others that should be joyful, because usually it’s a passion set in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, becomes nothing but work on top of life, it’s then that nothing is easy. We cry out to God but the last thing we do is take his yoke on us. We continue to shoulder the weight of our load alone.
We really are like sheep that need constant care. Our eyesight is not the best and we get disillusioned thinking we have the ability to go it alone instead of always staying under the yoke Jesus offers us, that is easy and enjoyable to ware. Jesus wants to give us abundant life in this life as well as in the next. He wants us to have a joy that is complete, found in him not in our own ability and strength.
I am thankful today that he is a present help in a time of struggle and need. I think he lets us struggle at times for us to learn lessons and grow up as it were. I thought at my age most of the growing up was over, but in light of eternity we will always be growing up and learning in this life. We learn more about who he is and gain an experiential knowledge of his presence in all things.
Something interesting caught my eye in the Matthew11 passage this morning. After Jesus invites us to come alongside him under his yoke, he says “LEARN OF ME”. We are so use to being under the burdens of life that learning a new way of living with joy in the midst of trial or burden because he is foreign to us…well it takes a lifetime of learning.
School is in; let’s enjoy life together we can help each other learn about his light burden, finding his rest.
