Yoke

Jesus said:
“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.”
Matthew 11:28-30

How can the yoke be easy
that settles on our necks?
What burden except Jesus
is light upon our backs?

For he has borne our sorrows
as lambs within his arms.
His very self he offers,
our very selves transforms.

We bore the yoke of Pharaoh
and burden of the law
'til, crushed beneath the harrow,
we cried aloud to God.

He came and bore our weakness—
our death within his flesh.
His burden has relieved us
so that we may have rest.

We are the weight he carried
aloft to Calvary;
he is the weight we bear now,
the yoke that makes us free.

He lays his own divineness
upon our weary backs:
One day, we shall be like him
and rest in God at last!

A milkmaid walking with a shoulder yoke, shown with another female farmworker carrying a rake and a wicker backpack, painting by Gari Melchers – http://chetvergvecher.livejournal.com/932759.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49225857

A Gentle Lord

For the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A:

The one who cast down chariots
and parted waters in the sea
comes to us riding on a colt
to set the bound and captive free.

He comes to us a gentle Lord
to bless the bread, the cup to fill.
He breaks the bow and bends the sword
and bids us know him and be still.

Not to the mighty but the weak,
not to the great but to the small
does Christ the tender shepherd speak,
does he reveal the Father's all.

Not to the wise and learnèd ones
but to the children and the lambs
does Jesus show what God has done
and leads them to the great I Am.

Lift up your heads, you mighty gates;
cast off the yoke of your success,
for patiently he stoops and waits
to lay on us his yoke of rest.

He hides his wisdom from the wise,
so let us lift our heads and see:
In wars unfought and burdens light
our shepherd leads us into peace.

Entry into Jerusalem, by Giotto, 14th century. By Giotto – Unknown source, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2941674

He Sits Imprisoned

When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ,
he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question,
“Are you the one who is to come,
or should we look for another?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
Matthew 11:2-11

For those who sit in darkness,
a light will break on high—
so spake the prophet's father,
and were those words a lie?
For now he sits imprisoned,
the herald of the morn,
and dark is all his vision,
and all his hope stillborn.

There was no revolution,
no baptism of flame,
no nationwide ablution
or vipers driv'n away,
but only this slow flow-ring,
too late to bear him fruit.
He sees, as night is low'ring,
the axe at his own root.

If I am blind, he whispers,
then give me eyes to see.
Infected, oh, then cleanse me;
my captive mind set free.
If I am lame, unlame me;
tell my poor heart good news
that when I die, you'll raise me
to kneel and take your shoes.

Juan Fernández de Navarrete – St John the Baptist in the Prison – WGA16467 – Web Gallery of Art: Image Info about artwork, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15610256

Are You the One?

When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ,
he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question,
“Are you the one who is to come,
or should we look for another?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
Matthew 11:2-11

Are you the one we've looked for,
or must we seek again?
If you are he, come in, Lord:
Your reign in me begin.

My hidden world come find here;
your kingdom may it be.
To all in me that's blinded,
reach out, and let me see.

To all that I have deafened,
speak your renewing word;
that I may hear your blessing,
command in me, my Lord.

Where I am weakest, strengthen;
give speech where I am dumb.
Restore where I have taken,
forgive me what I've done.

And all in me that's longing
at last to hear good news,
all poor and unbelonging,
all weary and confused,

oh, preach to that your mercy,
your peace amid my strife.
And all that's dead about me,
come, bring it back to life.