"I WILL GIVE YOU REST"
Fr. Henry Kuykendall, Chaplain
Catholic Ministry of the Deaf

There are many Bible verses which have brought me comfort. "I will be with you always, until the end of time," "I live in you and you live in me," and "Come to me all you people that are tired and have heavy burdens. I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

These words comforted me when Mom died five years ago, encouraged me when I got down on myself or let depression get to me. They helped me come back from a pile of broken pieces after making a mess of my life.

Jesus offers "rest" for the tired. A mother was asked by her husband what she wanted for Mother's Day. "A nap," she answered. A tired body needs sleep. A tired mind needs a change of attitude. A tired career needs another workshop. But a tired soul needs Jesus.

"I will give you rest." When Jesus spoke those words he was talking to people who were under the fist (pressure) of their religion. Their souls were tired of being obedient to a thousand rules which were supposed to make God love and reward them more. But the rules were hard to follow.

The Jews had 700 rules just to tell you how to keep the Sabbath. 50 rules to show how to dress for prayer. Many laws about what to eat. The pressure of these rules was wearing out their souls.

Jesus said, "let me show you an easier way to please God." Instead of focusing on rules, Jesus asked us to focus on relationships, "love God and love one another."

Sometimes my soul gets tired of trying to be good enough to please my religion. You know the rules: talking in church does not please God; leaving early or coming late does not please God; wearing shorts does not please God; letting your child cry in church does not please God; letting the offering basket pass you does not please God; beating a priest at golf does not please God (joke). Rules, even good rules, do not lead the soul to God. Only a personal relationship with God leads to God. Then you will always keep the good rules.

Life too busy trying to do all the good things FOR God keeps me from spending time WITH God. I seem to believe that God will love me more if I do good stuff. My life becomes a score card. But it has made me insecure, because I can never do enough good deeds. My soul works harder and I become tired.

Jesus offers these words of wisdom for me, "Henry, slow down, relax, clear your schedule, take a walk, watch a sunset, hold the hand of a loved one, listen instead of talk; let yourself fall in love with God who has loved you when you were only a seed." Good deeds are not our goal, but closeness to God is the real goal.

We will do good deeds when we are close to God. Jesus does not offer a spiritual hammock where we can be lazy and do nothing. Jesus offers a yoke.

A YOKE IS A WOODEN BAR USED TO JOIN
TOGETHER 2 OXEN OR OTHER ANIMALS
WORKING TOGETHER.

Jesus calls us from laziness of believing God will do all the work. He calls us from tiredness of trying to do enough good things to please God.

God offers a yoke not a couch. Yokes are single or double. A single yoke is a way to carry a heavy load alone, but our shoulders get tired and the yoke must be set down so our shoulders can rest. A double yoke takes two partners, but if the pair are matched well (equal) the yoke fits properly. Then they can work all day without stopping. When one gets tired, the other can pull the load. A shared load is lighter. When the day is done they may be tired, but neither is exhausted, because they are a team.

If you are trying to do your work in the world all by yourself, Jesus is waiting to help you. He has half of your yoke on his shoulders, waiting for you to take the other half. When we become a team with Jesus, He pulls with us...helping us when we have heavy burdens we cannot carry alone.

Let God be your partnerr. Let God share your load (burdens). When your work on earth is finished, Jesus will call you to come celebrate a Homecoming banquet in Heaven. You will celebrate because you have finished your work on earth. But most of all you will celebrate because Jesus was your best friend and was there all the time helping you carry your load!