Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
Way back when I was in the Army, our diabolical Drill Sergeants had pounded into us that when one wins ALL are winners and when one fails ALL pay the price. And guess what we finally figured out? When one of us won, that meant the rest of us had failed and we had to bare the punishment. I told you they were diabolical!
In order to teach us teamwork, they had a telephone pole which we were expected to pick up and carry with us throughout the "Day of Punishment." When it was chow time, we had to either eat in shifts or learn to eat one handed, because our friend the Pole was not permitted to touch the ground. Thankfully, our platoon happened to be quick studies and it didn't take us long to learn to work together as a single unit.
There are no words which could possibly express the relief when we finally got to "Put The Pole To Bed." Nor are there words which can accurate describe the aching muscles we experienced for the following three days. I found it rather odd that our Chaplain chose the Sunday of after we put the pole to bed to share with us Matthew 11:28-30.
Here I am, years later, remembering that enormous burden we carried and remembering the burden of the sins I carry (my past, my present, my actions, my words, my thoughts), that pole cannot compare to the burden of sin. Yet, Jesus invites us to "Put The Pole To Bed" and take his lightweight yoke (love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; Love your neighbor as yourself). Which would be easier to carry?
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