Yoked to Jesus

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“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 gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” †  Mathew 11: 28-30  What is the labour and burden that Jesus is asking me to deal with? Perhaps I have to let go of the compulsive burden (or is it a sort of entitlement?) that my spouse and children should choose a spiritual path that I know to be right. Jesus accompanied Judas Iscariot to the very end but never deprived him of his freedom to choose his own destiny. Jesus on the other hand, uninterrupted by Judas's choice to reject him, continues to accomplish his mission. He does become a victim of Judas's betrayal but he seldom takes on the victim's identity. In divine wisdom, Jesus chooses to die in our place (and that of Judas) in a redeeming act of love. Rather than being compelled to fix those whom God has entrusted to my headship by m

Time travel

Get on board with me to a time travel, back to the beginning of creation. No life anywhere. All is barren! You and I  are now, a thrusting desire and a long cherished dream in Gods heart.

He runs his fingers through the innumerable planets floating in the galaxy and looks at earth with favour.  He foresees in His infinite mindscape, man and generations of mankind, molded truly after him, cohabit in eternal union with him.

Like an architect gearing up to build his masterpiece, God sets out. But pauses, stricken by a vital thought, having to create lavish paraphernalia for the one to come. He is lulled by ideas of trees and fruits, birds and the sky, abundance of water teaming with fish, mountains capped with snow, animals of all kind, sun to light up the earth, night to rest, stars to shimmer at night and moon to keep watch while his children sleep.  I will soak them in love and pamper them with my presence; they are my only priority, he thought to himself.

Five days of elaborate creation only for the one to come on the sixth. It is beautiful, exclaimed God, looking at what came to be. You and I, are His masterpiece, sole desire, His dream come true.

The heart of God, on another occasion, is thrusting with a concern, coupled with deep compassion for his children, now lost and abandoned in the hands of the enemy. He desires to save them, at any cost. Son, conceding to the insurmountable love He has for us, becomes word, then seed, and proceed to be born as human, on the very earth he once favored on man's behalf.

God becomes man! About him, Isaiah foretold:  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

That night in Bethlehem, the only chimes and bells that ring in his tiny ears are the mooing and braying of cows and donkeys. Stalks of hay stuffed beneath his soft skin for cushion. Wrapped in swaddling clothes, he lies in a manger, helplessly.

The land honored him with a death threat. He flees to Egypt to save his life. No one recognizes that he is life itself. They rejected his saving plan. He was considered outcast. They shouted, crucify him and considered freeing the scoundrel Barabbas a better choice. What an unfitting reciprocation to our dear God who gave us life.

Switch off that lofty time travel machine now and be realistic. Can you and I give him a fitting welcome this time? Christmas is near.

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