Ad Men
Do you ever feel like you are carrying the weight of the whole world on your shoulders?
Wouldn't it be nice to lighten the load?
"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." - Matthew 11:28-30
In Matthew's Gospel, we encounter what seems like an advertisement. Follow me and make you life easier. Is that what Jesus is saying?
Some commentators have said so, comparing the work involved in adhering to some religions, compared to the light burden of Christianity, so one could look at this as a plug by the world's most outspoken Ad Man.
Now, before we dismiss this crazy suggestion altogether, consider how powerfully effective the message is. How many come to Jesus to share their burdens, to lighten their loads, to find rest for their souls?
In James Michener's The Source, we encounter a young man who was burdened with his father's sin of adultery, and thus was labeled a bastard. That meant he and his descendants for ten generations would not be allowed to participate in worship as Jews. They were outcasts.
His life was changed, however, when he was baptized and accepted Christ as his savior by a priest who was building a church in that town. His burden was made light, and it was the promise of such redemption that led him to make that decision.
Why wouldn't he? What did he have to lose, having already lost everything?
It is in this story, though fictional, that I can see how powerful this message is for anyone who is running from a tainted past, from bad decisions they made or were made by others affecting them.
We have a very powerful tool at our disposal to save people from their heavy burdens, whether they are real or imagined. Living in guilt and shame is a terrible thing that often brings us down so low we can do nothing.
We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, as we read in Philippians, chapter 4, verse 3.
So, why not be ad men for Christ?
Why not help others unload their burdens and find rest?
The Spirit is in all of us, and the Spirit seeks those who are troubled and who carry the weight of the world upon them.
Helping someone find that type of peace can be as easy as resting one's hand on their shoulder.
Let us strive to lighten the load for all our brothers and sisters, and in the process, ours will be lightened as well.
More to come...