The Gospel reading for this Sunday is divided into three parts: first, Jesus thanks the Father for revealing the kingdom of heaven to the poor and to the simple. He then reveals the intimate relationship between himself and the Father in the second part. Finally, he encourages us to find solace in him by following him.
“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” It is evident that Jesus is speaking to the people whom he meets every day on the streets of Galilee: many simple people, the poor, the sick, sinners, and those who are marginalised….
These people always followed him to hear his words — the words that gave hope! Life can be arduous, and the Lord knows that. There are many things that wear out the heart: disappointments and wounds from the past, burdens and wrongs in the present, uncertainties and concerns for the future.
In our time, this invitation from Jesus reaches many brothers and sisters oppressed by life’s uncertain conditions. Many people are exhausted from the unbearable weight of rejection and indifference.
So many people live on the fringes of society, suffering from extreme poverty, frustration, and dissatisfaction. Thousands of people are forced to emigrate from their homeland, risking their lives. More people, every day, carry the burden of an economy that exploits them and imposes an unbearable “yoke” that the privileged ones – those in the upper strata of society – do not want to bear.
To each of these children of the Father in heaven, Jesus repeats: “Come to me, all of you”. Jesus’ invitation is for everyone. But especially for those who suffer the most. Today he says to each one: “Take courage; do not give in to life’s burdens; do not close yourself off in the face of fears and sins. Come to me!”.
Our late Pope Francis says in his reflection on the passage that “Jesus does not magically resolve our problems, but he strengthens us amid our struggles. Jesus does not lift the burdens from our life, but he resolves our anguish from our hearts; he does not take away our cross but carries it with us. And with him, every burden becomes light (cf. v. 30), because he is the comfort we seek.”
Father Josekutty Mathew CMF
