Jul 8, 2023
(Zec.9:9-10; Ps.145:1-2,8-11,13-14; Rom.8:9,11-13; Mt.11:25-30)
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.”
A remarkable confluence of Scripture today, extolling the “great kindness” of our King, who comes to us “meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass,” and inviting us to take refuge in Him and in His blessed humility.
Yes, upon a beast of burden, upon the young offspring of a beast of burden comes He who bears the burden of all our sins. Not on horse or in chariot does He come, for horse and chariot He casts into the sea: by Him “the warrior’s bow shall be banished, and He shall proclaim peace to the nations.” It is not the rich and powerful of this world He dies for, it is not their stead in which He stands, for the Lord has “hidden these things from the wise and the learned” of this world and “revealed them to little ones.” This we see in the “little one” His Son has become. This we find when we imitate His sacrifice.
David’s psalm echoes the Lord’s own words – “The Lord lifts up all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down” – and Paul says the same when he declares, “The one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through His Spirit that dwells in you.” For what is it to “put to death the deeds of the body,” that by the Spirit we may live, but to humble ourselves in the sight of God, to bow down before God and men and bear His light burden? For though we be crushed by the weight of labor and persecution in Jesus’ name, yet we live eternally in “His dominion [which] shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.”
The Lord Jesus states clearly, “I am meek and humble of heart,” and like Him, and like His Father, we are called to be. And for the grace of Him who is “compassionate toward all His works” we should “rejoice heartily” with our Savior, who exclaims today, “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth”; for all His works “give [Him] thanks” and “[His] faithful ones bless [Him]” for His faithfulness. “A just savior is He,” and “the glory of [His] kingdom” and His “might” are known in His mercy, are felt in the comforting hand He stretches forth to lift up the humblest of our kind. “Praise [His] name forever and ever.”
Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt.
Music: "Dust" from The Whole Whale, eighth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt.
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O LORD, blessed are you,
for your Son comes to us in humility
that we might come to you in glory.
YHWH, you speak of peace to your people, the peace that comes from your Son’s humble sacrifice. May we give praise to you, Father, that He has revealed to humble hearts your blessed way.
O LORD, help us put to death the deeds of the body, that we shall live in the flesh no more. Let your Spirit overtake our souls, that we might rise with your Son from this fallen earth. We bow down before you, our LORD and our God; raise our heads to praise your NAME forever.
Your burden place upon our shoulders, dearest LORD. Your Son’s Cross is indeed light for us to bear. For it is He who carries the Cross; it is He who bears the weight of our sin. It is He who takes from us the burden of the flesh and fills us with the Spirit of light and truth. O let us take His Cross upon ourselves and rest in the glory we thus find!
Make us your little ones, LORD, humble as the only Son.