The Good Way

 

Matthew 11:25-30 (CJB)

^{Emergent verse:}

²⁸ “Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

(“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask about the ancient paths,
‘Which one is the good way?’
Take it, and you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not take it.’ - Jeremiah 6:16)

Not one of the commentaries I looked at bothered to talk about this “rest” that Jesus offers. They all got hung up on ‘the wise’ vs. ‘babes’ and started splitting hairs about who’s wise and who isn’t. Personally, I think they missed the boat.

I’ve formed the habit of looking it up whenever the New Testament quotes from the Tanakh. I was delighted to find the phrase “the good way” in the quote from Jeremiah.

I also noted that the call is for those who are “struggling and burdened” not for those who are self-satisfied and full of their own importance. So, what’s this burden that Jesus intends for us to put down? What’s this yoke that we are already harnessed to, that Jesus suggests that we switch out for a much lighter and more comfortable one?

Could it be this yoke (the one we are invited to unhitch from) is the same wisdom and self-importance that our esteemed ancient commentators* got hung up on? 

Maybe the yoke we are exchanging for it is the ‘Good Way’ that so many refuse to take?

It might really be just that simple.

 

Stand at the crossroads and look.

Ask around—

“Who knows the Way?”

Dump all your disasters here in the dust;

 Unhitch from the consequences of your own way of thinking ^[a];

Pay attention, and take it easy from now on.

[a] Jeremiah 6:19

*Hilary of Poitiers: "The hidden things of heavenly words and their power are hid from the wise, and revealed to the babes; babes, that is, in malice, not in understanding; hid from the wise because of their presumption of their own wisdom, not because of their wisdom." Chrysostom: “And wherefore were they hid from them? Hear Paul speaking, Seeking to set up their own righteousness, they were not subject to the righteousness of God (Rom. 10:3.)"