A Gospel Enquiry
Introduction
Many years ago, I was invited to join the staff of a Catholic secondary school. I went along armed with my guitar and some songs that were part of the liturgical life of the parish to which I belonged.
One song proved to be very popular. It was Jesus, Lover of My Soul, by John Ezzy, Daniel Grul & Steve Mcpherson. More than twenty years later, it was still being sung by students who thought it was not cool to sing at Mass. The song became the de facto College anthem and was even sung at the end of the annual Year 12 and Old Boys AFL encounter. Just picture it: around forty sweaty males standing in a circle, arms linked, singing “Jesus, I will never let you go.”
There is so much about and in the Gospel passage presented for this enquiry. How can Jesus be yoked to so many people except through a shared faith and a shared commitment to being accompanied by him? We walk together by faith and not by sight.
The Gospel
Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’ (Matthew 11:28-30)
The Enquiry
See
- The focus on Jesus’ “yoke” is worthy of close examination. What is a “yoke” and what is the context in which it is used?
- Here is a statement from a paper about discipleship. You might find it helpful as you reflect on what Jesus says to his followers.
“Jesus’ disciples like any other disciples of Jewish rabbis of that time, left their everyday lives in order to learn from a rabbi in a close relationship by walking with him, listening [to] him, imitating him.”
- Who impresses you with their discipleship? What do you like about their lives that you recognize as the result of their commitment to imitating Jesus?
Judge
- What do you think of Jesus’ use of the yoke as a symbol of discipleship?
- Consider the following statement made by Fr Billy Swan in an article for Word on Fire and its relevance to Jesus’ invitation to follow him:
“The experience of being loved unconditionally and empowered to love in return is essential for our emotional lives and mental health.”
- What does your faith tell you about following Jesus? Do you believe that following him will give you a healthier and happier life?
Act
- What needs to change in the world so that being a disciple of Jesus will lead to its transformation?
- What small action can you take that will contribute to bringing about this change?
- Who can you involve in your action and how, when, where and how often will you get them to participate in your action?
Author: Pat Branson
Image Source: Bullock yokes.jpg Creator: Cgoodwin, Wikimedia, Attribution-Share Alike Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported Generic license.
