The joyful exchange
Text: Matthew 11:16–19, 25–30
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, Jesus has some things to say about how sin weighs on us, how He deals with it, and what that means for how we carry on.
The heavy burden of sin
Jesus has some words for those of us who are “weary and burdened” today. If that’s not you right now, it probably will be at some point in the near future, so I think there is something in this for everyone today.
In my second winter here, I’m noticing again how many people escape the Mount Gambier winter and head north for a while. For those travellers, the cold weather and the constant rain is a burden they would rather not bear. I’ll admit, I’m very much looking forward to our northbound trip in August.
It’s not just the winter that burdens us, though. There are all kinds of things that burden us or tire us out. That’s how life is—things take time and energy, and we eventually run out of both of those things.
Every generation and every age group has these things:
Children and young people look forward to school holidays to rest after a busy school term
Working people look forward to taking annual leave or even just the weekend to rest from busy schedules
Retirees look forward to taking the caravan away to see family or even just flying solo for a while and see some different scenery
Whoever you are and whatever stage of life you’re in, there are things that tire you that you need rest from every now and then. When we don’t get that rest on a regular basis, we can work ourselves down to the point of burnout, which is something we are becoming increasingly aware of, particularly in occupations like teaching, nursing, and pastoral ministry.
Things like school, work, or simply being in the same place for a long time can feel like burdens, but they can also be good things that we enjoy. God has gifted each of us with different callings or vocations to enjoy and serve in. However, none of us have limitless energy, time, or patience.
When Jesus speaks about people who are “weary and burdened”, though, He has something a bit deeper in mind than the things that make us tired.
King David was an expert at sinning. As someone who was very experienced in it, he knew how to describe it. He does this in many of the Psalms, but here is just one:
Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
Your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear. (Psalm 38:1–4)
David says that his guilt is weighing down on him to the point that he says it’s too much to cope with. He knows he has sinned and he also knows that he can’t shake it himself.
Sin is a heavy burden on us in two ways:
We feel guilty when we know we have done wrong
We struggle to forgive people who have sinned against us
Whether we are the perpetrator or the victim, sin is a burden that is too heavy for us to bear.
The weight of David’s guilt probably kept him awake at night. He probably struggled to focus on his duties. He was probably miserable and terrible to be around! I’m sure you have felt like that at some point. That guilt doesn’t really have an expiry date either—we can regret things from years or even decades ago. We replay it in our minds and it’s extremely hard to shake.
Being a victim of sin is equally burdensome and hard to shake. If you’ve been wronged by someone, it’s hard to look them in the eye without wanting to get into them. It’s hard to keep yourself from having a good whinge to other people about it and potentially damaging that person’s reputation.
Sometimes, people don’t realise they’ve wronged us. Sometimes they’re fully aware of it, but aren’t remorseful or sorry at all. Either way, it can be very difficult for us to forgive those that sin against us. That’s why Jesus told us to pray for God’s help in doing that.
The burden of sin is heavy, whichever end of the stick you’re on. Today, Jesus tells us what to do with that burden.
The joyful exchange
When you find yourself in a difficult relationship with someone and there is some tension or even conflict, what do you do about it?
You could reconcile with the person directly, maybe with the help of a mediator if necessary. If it’s a work situation, you might look to the HR department or a manager for direction. If it’s at school or uni, you might tell a teacher, lecturer, or counsellor about it.
These are the things that are generally seen as the right things to do. But, if we’re a bit more realistic with ourselves, we don’t always take the best course of action.
We give the person the silent treatment or try to avoid them completely. We vent to a close friend or family member. We might even go to the effort of spreading gossip and starting rumours about the person.
We can do the absolute opposite of reconciliation and hold on to the burden of sin. When we do that, there is no rest. There is no peace. We tend to carry our sin around to every place imaginable except for the place Jesus tells us to. He says:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt. 11:28–30)
When the burden of sin is heavy, when life becomes a struggle, and when your guilt is too much to bear, “come to me,” Jesus says. Don’t go to your psychologist. Don’t go to your friends. Don’t go to the HR department. They can’t give you rest. They can’t take your burden for you. All they can do is tell you how to carry that burden, or, at best, share the load with you. Sometimes we need that, too, but they are not the first thing we need. The first place to go is to Christ, who offers rest for our souls.
“To ‘come to’ Christ is to believe that sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. When we believe, our hearts are brought to life by the Holy Spirit through Christ’s Word.” (Apology to the Augsburg Confession, XII A)
Jesus offers an exchange. He says He will take your heavy burden of sin and offer you His yoke in return, which is easy and light. We can give Him our conflicts, our grudges, our sins committed, and He will give us the yoke of the Gospel.
This is the joyful exchange that took place on the cross for your sin and mine, committed and felt.
This is the joyful exchange that takes place every time the absolution is spoken—the burden of sin is lifted off your back and you are free to serve in the gospel.
In the forgiveness of sins, we find rest for our souls, we find peace that goes beyond our understanding. It is in that rest that we can continue on in this life with joy and hope instead of guilt and shame.
Luther says that “when sin has been forgiven and the conscience has been liberated from the burden and the sting of sin, then a Christian can bear everything easily.” Notice how Christians aren’t rescued from having to bear anything ever again. Life in this world goes on and so does its challenges and struggles, but, when we aren’t burdened by sin, those things become easier to face.
The freedom to forgive
But what about that person I’m in conflict with? What about the sin that I committed? What about that thing that that person did to me?
Coming to Jesus frees us from our guilt and the burden that we were carrying, but there is still another party to consider. You might now have the freedom that the forgiveness of sins brings and you might be in a place of true rest, but the other person is still stuck in it.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn. 13:34, 35)
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ep. 4:32)
People might know that you’re a Christian because you go to church most weeks and you’re part of a Bible study group. But do they know that a Christian is more than just that? Do they know that a Christian is actually a person who follows Christ and can’t help but reflect His love and forgiveness? Do they see that in you? “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,” Jesus said.
If you have ever genuinely forgiven someone to their face, you’ll know how freeing that is for both of you. Suddenly, it’s possible to have a loving relationship again. It’s possible to see past that hurtful thing that happened. If you haven’t done that before, today is a great day to try it.
Coming to Jesus to find rest is not about coming to church and staying here forever. He wants us to come here, but He doesn’t want us to stay here.
Remember, He didn’t just take away our burden—He swapped it for His yoke. We carry that yoke, the forgiveness of sins, everywhere we go and to everyone we meet.
As forgiven and redeemed sinners, we live in a state of rest: rest from guilt, rest from shame, rest from needing to impress God or other anyone else.
Know that you are loved, you are forgiven, and you have the peace that surpasses all understanding. May it keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus, who forgives our sin and frees us to serve. Amen.
