Heavy Backpacks on God’s Broad Shoulders
Exodus 23:20-22, 24-27, 31-33; Matthew 11:28-30
A Meditation Delivered by Thomas J. Boone, Ph.D.
Central Presbyterian Church, Mobile, AL, February 10, 2008

It always amazes me to see how many books students can fit into one backpack. I’m thinking of my daughter as I say this, although I see it with most high-schoolers these days. I’ve got to say that I feel sorry for ya’ll as you swing all that weight from the car across your bodies and onto your backs with a thud—although I don’t feel so sorry as to wish it were me again! A few times I’ve tried to help Carrie, and I see other parents doing the same. Heavy burdens aren’t any fun to carry, so as much help as I could lend I’ve been happy to give, but it remains Carrie’s load, her burden, and the relief I give is only temporary. If you’ve seen the sight of students hauling heavy backpacks walking to or from school then you know why that image came to my mind as I reflected on Jesus’ words this week.

We aren’t plowing fields with oxen, which is the context of what Jesus is talking about, but we know what heavy burdens are like, sometimes they’re physical, other times emotional, and still other times the burdens come from finances, family, career, or relationships. Whatever form they take in our lives, when burdens become too heavy it can be tempting to do anything to relieve the stress, or try to find an easier road, or pray that God would remove the burden altogether.

Its likely true that during at least one point in our lives, each of us has pursued unhealthy ways to distract us from our burdens, or have conjured downright sinful thoughts for the sake of getting out of difficult situations. I also know that when we’re confronted with failing bodies that just won’t stop hurting, it can be tempting to ask why God won’t hurry up and take us home. It’s in the face of such heavy burdens that Jesus gives us a promise in Matthew, “if you take my yoke...you’ll find rest in your souls.” Rest in our souls, now that sounds comforting doesn’t it?

God has always wanted us to have rest in our souls. When God created humans there weren’t heavy burdens the likes of which I’ve described. Things were very good, meaning there was complete harmony between God and creation. It wasn’t until our disobedience that heavy burdens began, so God declared that rather than remove the burden He was going to show His people the way to get off the path of disobedience. The more disobedient we are, the more we go against the grain of how God created things to be, the less peace we’re going to feel in life. It’s just a law of the universe, and we see it play out in our lives often, or in the lives of others we know. How many times do bad things happen to people around us, or us, and someone asks “Why did God do that?” or “Why did God let that happen?” or even, “What did I do to deserve this?” It’s so easy to get sidetracked from what really is going on when we don’t have Jesus as our focus.

Take one conversation I had earlier this week. I was speaking with someone in the gym who knows I’m a pastor so I hear some incredible stories from her. She’s in love with a man, but can’t admit it, and she wonders why he doesn’t love her after they’ve lived together for a few years and now he has moved out to be with someone else. Meanwhile she has seen other men and I hear the sordid details about that, as if I really want to hear. But she asked me an interesting question, “Why doesn’t God listen to my prayers about him?” Okay, I’m thinking, so you were living together, now you aren’t, and instead you’re both seeing other people, and you wonder why it’s not working out between both of you. Right. I simply responded to her question with this, “What are you doing in your life to help you hear God’s answer better?” “Good point,” she simply said.

God wants to be in a relationship with us, but unless we keep our priorities straight by putting God before all the other things in our lives, then life’s going to be more complicated than it was designed to be. In the Old Testament God allowed people to give it their best shot. He showed us the way to get back on track with Him, but it never worked. Instead, people discovered they couldn’t follow the law all the time so leaders made more laws to give more guidelines on how to obey. It didn’t take long before people forgot the basic message of the law altogether. Rather than love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love each other as they wanted to be loved, people became focused on carrying the burden that the Law created. In everything people were to love God and others, whether it was conducting business, worshipping, being with family, courting, or having fun with friends. It wasn’t about the Law at all, it was about a passion-infused commitment to God and a heart of integrity that treated others as people would want to be treated.

This is as true for us whether we’d been living three thousand years ago or if we’d be living one thousand years from now. God’s consistent with His appeal that we get back on track with Him in order to find rest in our souls. The good news for us is that rather than having to do it on our own by following the Law perfectly, which is an impossible burden to bear, we have the benefit of Jesus who shoulders it for us.

So what does this mean practically speaking? The more we learn to trust God’s promises about our lives the more we’ll discover just how broad His shoulders are. The more we discover His ability to help us with our burdens, the more rest we’ll experience even amidst the chaos we experience. Some of the most amazing testimonies of God’s provision I’ve heard come from people who’ve died after long struggles with cancer or who’ve faced long-term struggles with depression. Ya’ll know that God doesn’t promise us perfect health, family order, or guarantees against life’s problems. He simply promises us that He will help us through those times if we keep Him our priority.

This all reminds me of a line to a hymn I think we all know. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” Some of you are in the season of life where you’ve had best friends and family leave this earth to be with the Lord. You also know that time is drawing near to you when you will be with Him and those whom you’ve seen go before you. What’s most important right now for you? Is it a dispute about a church matter, a squabble with a family member or friend, being right, and making sure that you’ve gone through your bucket list? Or, is it most important right now that in all things you are rely more upon Jesus and making Him the object of your life? With heaven on the horizon of life, there’s NOTHING more important than a heart fully surrendered to the Lord, no matter what.

Some of us aren’t at that point in life yet where the imminence of death reshapes our perspective. We’re at the height of our careers, we move the world, we’re the decision makers, and our money generates political and local interests. Or, as is the case for some of you, you’re married to one of them! And yes, we know that the Lord should be our priority, but life gets ahead of us so easily. Well, I’m speaking to peers now, and guess what? So what? No matter how busy life gets for us, or how many strains on our schedules that we face, none of it happens to the point where God is content for us to put Him to the periphery. None of our decisions exists outside of the sphere of God’s interest or influence. None of us are so great as to make God our servant, which is exactly what we do when we think we can get by without God at the center and come only to Him when we really need Him, or have time. The good news for us is that our Lord wants to be our partner in life, marriage, family, career, and finances, and He will help us get through the fray even if He won’t remove us from it. Now is our time to get on with the business of trusting Him to be our focus, because so many people look to us for leadership.

And regardless of what age we are there are some of us who look at our lives and wonder what happened, or why we’re stuck in the rut. We come to church, we pray, we do our devotions, we think we’re putting God first and still we’re struggling. Here’s the good news. Just because the Lord is our focus doesn’t mean that life is going to be easy. It simply means that He’ll provide in ways that will astound us. He’ll give us courage to face down the peace-robber and life-marauder. He’ll give us a community to lean on, a moment of grace that can only come from Him, whatever it takes. He’s given us promises to cling to, rest for our souls when they’re too weary, permission to lay down when we’re tired of the assault, and hope that today’s trial will not be the finale. He has something marvelous for you, even if you can’t see it just yet. I say this with tears in my own eyes, because I’ve been there and know exactly what it means to say this.

So I end with His words. “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Hallelujah. Amen.