Matthew 11:25–30

²⁵At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;

²⁶yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.

²⁷All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

²⁸Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Jesus prayed, "Thank you Father that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding." Then he says, "No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone the Son chooses to reveal him to." This is pretty unsettling. It sounds like discrimination. It sounds like God is rather selective about who he allows to know him or be in his kingdom. So often we have read and heard the last part of this gospel reading, the part about coming to him and he will give us rest. That is one of our favorite and most comforting passages from the Bible. But we seldom read the first part of it. It is perhaps a little troubling to read that part. We would rather forget it and try to ignore it. In our age of "tolerance" and "inclusion" the idea that God selects who he wants in heaven is a rather "Inconvenient truth." It makes us ask: "Does he really want me in his kingdom?" Perhaps I am such a great sinner that he might resent having me there. Or if he does let me in, he might stick me in a corner somewhere out of sight.

Now, Jesus had just been saying that the judgment day would be worse for people in Tyre and Sidon and Capernaum than for the people in Sodom. That was a pretty big insult. At the time of Jesus, the term "Sodom" was used to describe the worst possible sinners, the most sinful people imaginable. But, because the people in Capernaum and Tyre and Sidon had seen his mighty works, they had heard the message of the Gospel, they had heard the preaching of Jesus, and they still hardened their hearts and rejected his message, their condemnation would be greater than for the people of Sodom. The people of Capernaum remained in unbelief in spite of all that Jesus had done for them; in spite of the fact that Jesus made his home there as an adult. If these same works had been done in Sodom, they would have repented and turned to God in faith. But the people of Jesus' time still refused to repent and believe in him.

So then, it was not God who refused to reveal these things to the wise and learned, but it was these supposedly wise and learned people who refused to believe in Jesus; refused to repent of their sin; refused his gracious offer of forgiveness and salvation. Just like the wise and learned today.

Who are the wise and learned? Most of us consider ourselves wise and learned. Our entire culture considers itself superior to others, more educated, more sophisticated, a superior culture with more science, technology, learning, industry and economic and industrial development. In fact we are so learned and sophisticated that we don't really even need God today. He is nice to have around for emergencies, but most of the time he is not a major part of our lives or thoughts. God does not need to be particularly involved in our life as long as we are happy and feel good about ourselves. We are good people. We're going to go to heaven. And we are so learned! We went to Sunday School, we were confirmed. And some even went to parochial school and a Lutheran University. Oh yes, we are wise and learned.

But Jesus says, "I thank you that you have hidden these things from the wise and learned." That's us in our smugness. That's us when we think we already know it all and don't need to study more the Bible. It is interesting to observe people today. Those who tell you that they don't understand the Bible well and need to learn so much more are the ones who are in regular Bible study and read it and learn it and are really quite advanced in their theological knowledge. While those who go around telling you that this is the way it is, that they know this or that, that they are experts in the Bible and know what God says, are the ones who never crack open a Bible at home or in a Bible study. Those who claim to be wise and learned are the ones Jesus said the Father did not reveal these things to. Because they rely on their own knowledge and learning, rather than the Holy Spirit's teaching.

And to these wise and learned Jesus says, "It will be worse for you on Judgment Day than for Sodom." That is the yoke of law. The law that accuses us and burdens us with sin. For it is we, the wise and educated, who are under the burden of sin and the yoke of law because we don't even recognize our depravity. For all of our learning and wisdom we don't even know enough to see or recognize our own sin, our own depravity before God. We have good eyes to spot the sins of others, but we think we are so big, so good, so special, so important, and so God appears to be just a side bar in our lives; an add-on for when we have the time. And for that Jesus accuses us with these strong words of law and judgment. To those who are puffed up and proud, thinking we are wise and educated, the Father has hidden the mercy and love of God. Not because of his will, but because we, in our pride have rejected his gifts.

But to the little children he has revealed them. Don't ever look down on or despise children. Don't ever close your hearts to them or turn them away from the church or the word of God. You will be in direct opposition to God. It is to the humble, the lowly, the small, the weak, and the outcast that God has chosen to reveal his love and grace.

And he has revealed it in the person of Jesus Christ. We are by nature under the yoke of the law. And the law burdens our conscience, it tells us we are sinners. It accuses us before God and it condemns us to death. But Jesus came and the Father handed all things over to him. Including the yoke of the law and the burden of our sin. Including the guilt we share and the threat of death. All these were handed over to Jesus who took them and bore them himself.

Jesus placed himself under our yoke and he bore our burden. He became guilty of our guilt and bore our shame on the cross. A yoke shaped like a cross was placed on his shoulder and he went as a captive of our sin to his death. He took our yoke and burden and he gives us his yoke and burden; the joyful and light burden of life and salvation.

"Come unto me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in hearts, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." His yoke is a yoke that binds us to himself; to his love, his grace and his mercy. His burden is the burden of forgiveness and eternal life. He exchanges our burden of sin and death for his burden of life and salvation. And the yoke of life and the burden of forgiveness is light. It is joy. It is peace. It is pure life. It is hope. It is faith. It is yours by faith since the day you were baptized.

Now that gets us right back to the beginning. It sounds as if God decides who will be in his heaven. Ultimately he is the one who decides. So then, has he chosen me?

God ultimately does decide who will be in his heaven. And because it is God's choice and decision, you can be completely sure that you will not be banished to a dark corner where God won't have to look at you very often. Since it is God who chose to take you to heaven, you can be quite sure he really does want you there. Jesus says he reveals the Father to whomever he chooses. He reveals the Father in Baptism. It is in Baptism that you know for the first time God: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If you are baptized and have faith, then it is because Jesus did chose you. You are not in his kingdom by mistake. Nor is there any doubt that he chose you.

Moreover, you are God's pleasure and delight. Jesus said that the Father revealed these things to the children "for it was his gracious will." It is God's will; his pleasure; his desire that you be in his kingdom. To God you are totally pleasing because Jesus took your burden of your sin and carried it on his shoulders to the cross. Hence you are completely sin free in his eyes. Completely wrinkle free. Completely spotless in God's eyes. You are precious in his sight. You are pleasing to him. You are his delight. You will not be banished to a corner in heaven, but you will be on display for all to see you beauty, your glory, your perfection. You will sit at the table and dine with Jesus himself, just as you dine with Jesus here in Holy Communion. But there it will be forever. It won't be just momentary. All because Jesus took the burden of your sin and hung it on the cross.

It was God's good pleasure to reveal his love and mercy to you. Jesus has chosen to reveal the Father to you. You are chosen and your are his delight and pleasure. And you are yoked to Jesus.

Therefore, even while in this world the storms rage, and the suffering and pain still goes on, yet Jesus cannot be separated from you. He is yoked to you in baptism. He is yoked to you in Communion. His Spirit will give you the strength to bear the burdens of this life. He carries them for you. He strengthens and empowers you to endure and bear the loads of this world. In your pain, in your suffering, in your sickness, in your death, Jesus is there... yoked to you with a yoke of iron that cannot be broken. He cannot leave you or forsake you. And the peace that passes understanding is yours, because you rest in his arms. Eternal rest. Perfect rest. He is gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your soul forever in his kingdom.

Amen.