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

Do not be Hopeless

Marriage is losing its sacredness and sacramental value. It is fast becoming a social event, a mere arrangement for better economical viability. Money rules lives and all life’s decisions. Families are losing their relevance. Children with diseases are quietly terminated in the womb, and outside the womb. People are hoping to custom design their kids! The letter ‘s’ next to the word ‘kid’ will soon be considered a violation of human rights. Money rules lives and all life’s decisions.

Our lives as well are reeling under a strategic move by those who uphold the culture of death. We too have become helpless victims of consumerism. Quality of life today is determined by seeing what our neighbor has that we don’t have. We are being trained to think that ‘our worth’ is something that needs to be purchased at any cost. We are being deceived. We have become mere ‘toys’ in the hands of the few. Our precious lives are now considered as ‘products’ for the few to multiply their money. Our ignorance is costing a huge price. We have been trained to feel nothing wrong even when our basic freedom and justice is denied. This has been much like the frog and the hot water experiment.

We are too eager to accept whatever the world proposes. Their communication has become compelling and inescapable. It’s everywhere! When they propose that children are a burden, it becomes the socially accepted truth. For those who already have kids, the few make our lives miserable by making basic accessories for education and education itself unaffordable. We have come to believe that happiness, security and peace come from what money can buy. We are encouraged to avail of bank loans and credit cards. We will be made to spend our lives slaving to repay loans at the expense of our own lives and the members of our families. Aren't they catching fish in the muddy waters? Aren't they opportunistically exploiting our plight to their advantage? This situation is much like that story in which the wolf makes the sheep fight and drinks the blood.

We are clueless and confused. But the struggles in life offer us tremendous insights into the secrets of joyful living. Christ never ceases to talk to us. He said "my sheep listen to my voice." If we fail to distinguish the tender voice of Jesus, it is because we have made our inner being too noisy, trying to listen to too many voices.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. John 10:11-14

Hurry! Get out of being in the center of everything. Trade places with Jesus. Let Jesus be at the center of everything, be it joy or sorrow. Come to the periphery and watch what is happening there. Do not try to own the problem as if it is yours. Seek to solve it along with Jesus. Think with Jesus, seek with Jesus and act with Jesus. Do the same with success too. Be firmly rooted in the person of Jesus and in the words of Jesus. He said. "but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." Mathew 24:14

God is in control. Be hopeful! “But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” Romans 5:20

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