July 5, 2020
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Among a list of words to describe Jesus one might find adjectives such as compassionate, forgiving, kind, loving, merciful, or righteous. The readings for today offer another example, one that we might not consider for the divine Son of God. It is the word “humble.”
We hear it first in the reading from the prophet Zechariah (Zech. 9:9-10). This book was written during the postexilic period in biblical history when the Israelites had been released from captivity in Babylon and returned to Judah.
During this time, the Temple was being rebuilt and the people of Israel began to anticipate that the anointed one of David’s line would soon come to restore his dynasty. Once the Temple was completed, the Davidic king had not yet appeared to lead the people and religious upheaval ensued. Thus, the prophetic writings of this period, like Zechariah, began to take on an apocalyptic tone, looking for a heavenly king, a divinely appointed messiah, to be accompanied by the arrival of God’s kingdom.
In the First Reading for today, Zechariah anticipates the arrival of this heavenly king who will banish all warfare from Jerusalem and bring everlasting peace as he reigns over every nation. Zechariah tells the people of Judah to exult and shout with joy as he proclaims the way in which this savior will enter Jerusalem. He says, “Behold: your king is coming to you, a just savior is he, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zech. 9:9b)
This verse is a reference to the way in which the kings of ancient Israel entered a city riding on a donkey. It was an event of great fanfare, but an enactment of the humility of the king as he served his people. This was in contrast to the power and bravery depicted when the king rode into military battles on his mighty stead as a conquering warrior.
During his ministry Jesus imitates this tradition by riding a donkey into Jerusalem to indicate that he is the one to fulfill the prophecy of the long-awaited messiah of Zechariah (Mt. 21:1–11; Mk. 11:1–11; Lk. 19:28-40; Jn. 12:12–19). He is the one the people of Israel have been waiting for to redeem them and release them from tyranny. He will do this, not with the violence and upheaval of a revolt, but rather with humble service to others in God’s name.
In the Gospel for today from Matthew (Mt. 11:25-30), Jesus is preaching to unrepentant towns. He utters a prayer acknowledging that it is only those who are humble like Jesus who will receive what the Father has chosen to reveal through the Son. He prays, “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones.” (Mt. 11:25).
Jesus then offers one small statement which holds great meaning for those seeking to act humbly. He says, “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.” (Mt. 11:28-29)
Although strange sounding to us today, Jesus’ use of the words “yoke” and “burden” would have held a familiar meaning for the people of his day. In their agricultural setting, the yoke was a wooden beam placed between two oxen so they could equally bear the burden of whatever task they were performing.
Jesus compares the burden of this heavy workload to the burdens that the people of his time might have carried on their own shoulders in their daily lives. He tells them that they need not struggle with their problems on their own, but rather meekly and humbly rely on his help and guidance.
Today we share the same problems and concerns as the Jewish people from the first century AD. We struggle financially to support our families, sometimes facing less than desirable working conditions or loss of employment. We encounter resentment and anger among family members and experience the strife of broken relationships. We suffer from a debilitating mental or physical ailment and we watch loved ones succumb to illness as we mourn their passing. We witness oppression in our society and the violence of intolerance and injustice.
Our struggles, pain, and grief may seem like they are too heavy a burden to bear. But we arrogantly plow through thinking we can handle all of life’s problems on our own. This is where the words of Jesus become particularly important for us.
Sometimes we simply have to admit to ourselves that we need help. We need to take the heavy load we carry and humbly share it using the yoke of Christ. After all, even Jesus humbly accepted the help of Simon of Cyrene as he carried his cross to Golgotha.
Never be too proud or stubborn to accept the invitation offered by Jesus to share our burdens. It is the summons of one who humbled himself to ride on a donkey. And it is the reassurance of our Lord and Savior who guarantees, “My yoke is easy, and my burden light.” (Mt. 11:30).
