14th Sunday in the period “over the year” – year A

 Introduction

When we travel by car for a long time, we will get a good rest at the rest stop. However, not all are the same, some are nicely groomed, others neglected. A pleasant place will provide us with a rest, refreshments, lifts us the mood from a strenuous and tiring trip.

Jesus also wanted to be a resting place for us and refresh on the road to eternity. He knows well that this journey is strenuous and tedious for us, so he says, come to me all who are straining and you are over-monk, and I will strengthen you.

In these words, Jesus is shown to be a kind, merciful God and changes people’s opinion about him. The Old Testament was afraid of God. For lightning and the rumble of thunder, Moses begged that he might speak to the people, not the Lord. The Jews were convinced that if God would speak to them, they would not endure that horror and die. According to their submission, no one who saw God could continue to live. Because of these views among people, the idea of a terrible God persisted. Therefore, Jesus’ words about exertion, about fatigue, about empowering, about the quiet and humble heart, about rest, about a pleasant yoke and a light burden act on the listener as a balm.

At the time, there were two life philosophies in Palestine: the School of Codes and the School of Pagans. The skilled erstwhile thought Thor a’s rules on the rights and obligations of the believer, about fasting, about alms, prayer, and the festive days. In their exaggerated rigor, they took people to the yoke and put on them the burdens that they could not bear. The pagan school, which included the Greeks, the Romans and partly Sadducee’s, taught that there is no law of morality, everything is allowed, and man can do whatever he wants. Jesus establishes the third school into which he calls in the words: Come unto me all who are straining and are oversupplied, and I will strengthen you. Take on my yoke and learn from me, for I am silent and humble with heart; and you will find rest for your soul. My yoke is nice and my burden is easy. Every school promised its pupils something. What did Jesus promise? Yoke – does not abuse the suffering of either himself or those he likes. Even your favorites will be most burdened. However, it offers its help, so the yoke becomes pleasant and the burden light.

There are three philosophies in our lives – three schools of life: the first speaks of a punishing and terrible God, about his rigor, and can lead us to unhealthy religious bigotry. The second says that today everything is allowed, one can be dishonest, unkind, that he can live in relaxed ants and to his satisfaction you just need bread and games. The third – the School of Jesus says the opposite: If you want to live honestly among the dishonest, kindly among the unkind, in moral integrity among obscenities, patiently among the angry, come to me and I will refresh you.

So which school to choose? Who of us likes strictness, bans and orders? The first is therefore unsatisfactory. How many people have reached for life or are they just lost when they lived by the slogan that everything is allowed? Even the other school doesn’t suit us. Therefore, the third school remained – the school of Jesus. He says over and over again: Come to me all, and I will refresh you. I will give you bread and in it my strength and life. I’ll leave the yoke to you, but with my grace I’ll make you feel too much. And I’m not asking you to try alone. I gave you an example in everything. Learn from me!

Do we understand what refreshes us at Jesus’ restroom? Bread from heaven, his body, which will make the yoke pleasant and the burden light. Do we understand which of the subjects in The School of Jesus is the most important? It’s love! Well, tell me, hasn’t God become even more pleasant, kinder and merciful at the moment?!

That’s why we all decide today for the school of Jesus, and we often go to it and learn and relax and detonator. That’s what the multimillionaire Milford’s daughter did. When he died and opened the testament, they read in it: My daughter Grace, who is a sister of a great sister, I refer a million dollars, but on the condition that he step out of the monastery and return to secular life. If he disobeys my last will, he will receive nothing and her sum will be distributed among the other heirs. When the notary read the testament before sister Grace, she said, I declare before you that I renounce wealth because for me, only God is the only true wealth and happiness I experience right now in the monastery and I will not renounce it for a million dollars.

Being in the school of Jesus and resting with him is supposed to be the greatest happiness for us. And although the yoke and the burden leaves us, it will always give strength, through its Body— the Eucharist, so that we can carry them. That’s when we look like him, and that’s a great honor for us.