Joy

Our family will be celebrating this weekend. My son, Wilson, will be marrying Carol, a member of our congregation, whom he has dated for almost seven years. The wedding will be an occasion of joy, to be sure. I am looking forward to it and, while I am not expecting water to be turned to wine at this wedding, I do expect Jesus to show up and join us in our celebration.

I have the need for a joyful weekend. There has been so much tragedy lately, not only in the world news, but also in and among our congregation. I have been doubly aware of the burdens some people carry, and perhaps I have been unknowingly trying to carry some of those burdens myself. It is a common mistake - out of some sense of empathy to wish to carry someone's burden, to lighten their load. Oh, I know, someone will quote Paul, "bear one another's burdens." However, none of us is capable of carrying another's burden, at least, not by ourselves. Why, we can barely carry our own! At most, what we can do is be present with someone else. Never underestimate the power of presence. Being there. Showing up. Presence is a powerful ministry.

Jesus says, "Take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Notice, Jesus does not say, "I am going to remove your burdens." No. What Jesus says is he will give you a burden, but it is a burden you can bear more easily than the burdens the world places on us. What I have always suspected is that Jesus is picturing a double yoke, in which we are paired with Jesus himself. He takes our load upon himself. He takes the pain and agony of our sorrows. He takes the disappointment of our regrets. He takes our missed opportunities, our tragic grief, and anything else that weighs us down and then he does the pulling. He takes the full load, including our sin, if we will let him. That is a big "if." How often we fail to trust Jesus' capability to bear the load, so we begin to pull and pull, and the burden becomes heavy on us again. We are pulling against the one who seeks to "bear all our sorrows." We are pulling against the one who "would heal all our diseases." We are pulling against the one whom Isaiah said came to carry "all our iniquities."

"Take my yoke upon you," he says. He wants us to find rest. He wants us to claim joy. And there is joy to be found. Even in the midst of the disasters, crises and traumas of life, we are often surprised by joy. A friend has posted on his office door, "Never let anyone rob you of the joy of your salvation." That's good advice. In seasons of sorrow, we need reminding of the joy - the joy of marital love; the pleasure of watching your children mature and claim their own gifts and joys; the good times shared by family and friends; the weekly gathering of God's people, happily reconnecting during a sabbath rest; the joy of our salvation. There is joy possible in every life. There is joy built into every week. There is rest for our weary souls. At least that's the way God planned it. Release your burdens. Let Christ Jesus bear your load.

Meanwhile, I'm putting on my "wedding garment" and getting ready for our big day. Hmm, maybe a wedding is our best preparation for the Big Day God has planned for all of us, when all our sorrows will be no more and Christ will claim his bride - the Church. That Big Day reminds us that joy is what God has planned for us, so we need to start rehearsing for it now, don't you think? Find a reason for joy today. Be grateful. Count your blessings. Remember that joy is what God has in store for us all.