Jesus, Paul, and Bill 1

In the first line of the second lesson, Paul writes, 15 I do not

understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very
thing I hate. For the remainder of the reading, Paul explains the conflict
between the mind and the flesh. It is easy to dismiss the flesh as our
physical desires, but it is meant as our very nature, which is characterized
mostly by selfishness. Shakespeares sonnet 29 deals with the same
problem from a different angle:

When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes

I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself, and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts my self almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

The fact that both Paul and Shakespeare have reached the point of
profound discontent is their only real similarity. Paul reveals the depth of
his struggle when he says, nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my
flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. Shakespeare, on the other
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hand, quickly bounces back, beginning with the line, Yet in these thoughts
my self almost despising, providing an example of what Paul meant by
the flesh. Shakespeare feels that God has abandoned him -- heaven is
deaf and his cries go unheard. What is he so upset about? He doesnt feel
like he is as talented or as good-looking as other men. He is so upset that
he cant even enjoy his favorite activities. He is only able to recover from
his crisis by remembering that someone loves him. He must have
something going for him, he must be special to be the recipient of this love.
In fact, this love pushes him to the point where he isnt even jealous of
kings. While this is a beautiful tribute to love, it is hardly a recipe for lifelong
happiness.
Paul also rebounds from his despair, but in a more surprising way.
The reading ends, 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from
this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So
then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a
slave to the law of sin. The love of Jesus has not magically cured Paul of
the afflictions of sinfulness; instead, Paul has been enslaved to the law of
God. We confess that we are captive to sin; Paul reminds us that we are
also captive to God.
You may have noticed that I read more of the Gospel than was
printed in your bulletin. This was not a mistake; it seems to me that the
portion that was left out is important to the ebb and flow of the reading.
Matthew 11 is Jesus response to Johns question, Are you the one who is
to come, or should we expect someone else? In todays Gospel, Jesus
compares the listeners to children who, because they cannot agree on
what game to play, refuse to play at all. They have dismissed John as
demon-possessed, and Jesus as a glutton and a drunkard. In the excluded
 Jesus, Paul, and Bill 3

portion, Jesus expresses frustration that the people who have witnessed
his ministry have not repented -- even the presence of the Son of God has
not changed their hearts. Jesus is not angry because of pride; his heart has
been broken. Our reading continues with Jesus thanking God because you
have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have
revealed them to infants. No, this does not mean that faith is only for those
too dimwitted to understand how things really work. Instead, it means that
only those who retain the capacity for wonderment, those who are able to
let go of their treasured self-image, those who can accept that they are
special because they are loved by God, but that God doesnt love them
because they are special, can truly reap the benefits of Gods love.
The end of the reading, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are
carrying heavy burdens, 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." calls to
mind the hymn, What a Friend we Have in Jesus:
What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer

Jesus has offered to share a yoke with us. This connection is

meant to free us from the restrictions of Rabbinical law so that we can find
peace. The yoke is easy because it has been crafted just for us. The work
will be hard, but we will be refreshed by the value of the work -- even when
we dont get the results that we would like. The burden is light because the
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need to impress others and, more importantly, the fear of judgement by a

God who keeps score has been removed. Christ is with us, and we are
being called to do Gods work. AMEN