July 08th, 2017

​When Jesus says in the text for this Sunday (from Matthew 11), 'Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest,' there can be a wide variety of interpretations. At the heart of the matter is the meaning of that little word, 'Come'.

The disagreement comes in the amount of effort that the human being puts into it. Lutherans are accused of adding something to the text when they say that we really cannot come to Jesus, that we need help to do such a thing.

The answer to that accusation of adding something to the text is to see the text within a much greater and much more clearer context. When Jesus is saying a word, who is really saying it and to whom is he really saying it? Those are important questions.

I hope you do not mind me referencing a chapter in Acts, but I believe Acts 15 is a very important chapter when it comes to understanding any command of Jesus like the one above. In that chapter, the followers of Jesus are trying to decide if all followers of Jesus should be circumcised, like all the Jews have been basically since that race started.

It was decided that, since circumcision was considered an unbearable yoke by past generations, it was understood in a different way. In light of all that had happened recently, it was understood as the action of God cleansing a person's heart from sin by faith. Did you see the significant switch that just happened? A person fulfills a command by God doing something instead of that person!

By the way, that is the way I understand the four prohibitions that are listed later in the chapter. These four prohibitions are fulfilled by Jesus in the four gospel accounts.

So when Jesus says 'Come,' he makes it possible for me to come. When he says, 'Take my yoke,' he makes it possible for me to take his yoke. This is not adding anything to the text. This involves telling people who Jesus really is.

This is being clear regarding the Law. This is being clear regarding the Gospel. This is what it means to be Lutheran.