THE STRAIGHTFORWARD PULPIT

Text: Matthew 11:28-30
Theme: “M3: The Invitation” (3rd in a Series)
3rd Sunday after Pentecost
July 3, 2011
First Presbyterian Church
Denton, Texas
Rev. Paul R. Dunklau

IN THE NAME OF JESUS

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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.

At some point around about 4th or 5th grade, my mother gave me a volume entitled White Gloves and Party Manners. Essentially, it was a book of etiquette for young boys. I’m sure it was modeled after the classic work on etiquette – etiquette involves basic standards of behavior -- written by Amy Vanderbilt and first published nearly sixty years ago. It taught such things as the importance of proper grooming, how to comb your hair, trim your nails, fold a handkerchief, make a bed, and, more importantly, how to behave at social events. I remember using the book to learn how to tie a tie, but all that other stuff about being a good little boy I found to be positively boring. As a result, I’m not sure if my behavior at social events is always in keeping with the proprieties of etiquette!

Nevertheless, it is not unimportant to be aware of etiquette, to have good manners, to understand that there are certain standards of behavior that most people – at least civil and reasonable people – abide by. Take the whole matter of getting an invitation to an event or a party. It used to be you’d get an invitation via the U.S. mail – say, for a wedding – and it would have “RSVP” written or printed on it. RSVP is an abbreviation for a French term that means “The favor of a reply is requested.” That’s simply a nice way of saying “Let us know if you’re coming so we can get a head-count and know how much food and drink to provide, etc., etc.” Other invitations might have the two words “Regrets Only” found on them. “Regrets Only” means that the host of the party wants to know if you can’t make it. They don’t want to know if you can make it; they only want to know if you can’t make it.

I’m sure some of you have heard of E-vite. E-vite is an internet site that enables you to send invitations to your friends for whatever function you have in mind. It gives your would-be attendees the option to reply with “yes”, “no”, or “maybe attending” to your invitation.

Speaking of invitations, I recently finished reading a little smidge of history just in time for the 4th of July weekend. It was in the form of a book entitled 1776. It tells the story of the conduct of the Revolutionary War during the calendar year 1776 – which is, or course, the year that the Declaration of Independence was signed. During the course of that war, as the book makes plain, General Howe of the British army would occasionally want to communicate with General George Washington of the American army. General Howe would issue an invitation for such communication by sending a soldier – or “Redcoat” as they were called – over to the American side holding a sign of truce. Even war had a certain degree of etiquette. It was commonly understood that there would be no guns firing under the sign of truce.

In today’s Gospel reading, we heard the classic invitation of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is an old invitation – far older than our United States. Yet, it is ever new. Jesus Christ, crucified for our sins and raised again for our justification, puts it out there for everyone to hear: ”Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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.”

It really is a strange invitation. There is no RSVP or Regrets Only. He doesn’t appear to be looking for a head-count. Thus, it would seem that it’s a blanket invitation meant for everyone. But take a second look. Oddly enough, the invitation does seem to limit the guest list. Jesus says, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” He targets those who are weary and burdened – or “heavy-laden”, as another translation puts it.

Now what if you’re not weary? What if you don’t carry any recognizable burdens? What if you feel hale and hearty and rested and ready for any contingency in life? What if you feel as though you’re walking on sunshine without a burden or care in the world? As I look around North Texas, the only thing that appears to me to be weary or burdened is the sum total of air conditioning units in this oppressive, triple figure heat and humidity. Nevertheless, energetically and consistently, people are out and about doing their thing. They suit up and show up every day. They appear to engage their labor and their leisure with zest, with zip, and with a certain light-heartedness. This notion of being weary and over-burdened doesn’t appear to be completely accurate.

But, my friends, appearances can often be deceiving. In fact, there are some folk that become weary and burdened in the daily effort, which grows ever more difficult, of keeping up appearances. While not appearing that way, the fact is that many are very weary – spiritually, mentally, physically – due to the limits and the uncertainties and the stresses and strains of life. The burdens that they bear carry substantive weight, and that weight depresses them. It becomes more difficult, with each passing day, to appear strong and to give off the impression that you’ve got it together.

Part of the mission of the church and, therefore, the mission of our congregation here at First, is to keep issuing this glorious invitation of Jesus: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” And here’s a way that we can do that better: we stop at nothing to make this a place where people can identify their weariness, understand their weariness, own their weariness; make this a place where people can identify their burdens, understand their burdens, own their burdens. Make this a place where no one has to lie or to obfuscate or to keep up appearances. Make this a place where we can be ourselves – warts and all. Then, guess what? This becomes a place where people cannot wait to respond to that fantastic invitation of Jesus: “Come unto Me!”

Nearly ten years ago, something happened to me that I want you to know about. If this ends up sounding as though I’m bragging, please forgive me. That’s not my intent. There was a time, nearly ten years ago, when I realized I had to make a decision. Don’t get me wrong. I knew that I was saved. I knew that I was a dearly loved child of God. I knew that Jesus had done it all for me, and my good works had nothing to do with it. I knew it was all by grace alone. I knew it was all by faith alone, and so forth. I had it all straight in my head. But in my heart and soul, there was nothing but bankruptcy. I believed in God; I loved God, but, truth be told, I thought God was AWOL. I didn’t trust anyone. And it got to the point where I didn’t even trust myself.

My friends, I’m here to testify that such a life as I was living is extremely wearisome. It is, pardon me for saying it, one hell of a heavy burden to bear. It was suggested to me, at the time, that I might consider making a decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of God as I understood God. By the grace of God, I did make that decision. I also want to be crystal clear about the fact that I’m not saved because of that decision. Quite to the contrary, I’m saved because Jesus made a decision for me.

But I’m here to tell you, still, that it’s so much easier when you own that weariness and own that burden and then respond to the invitation of Jesus. He’ll take that weariness and take that burden and give you rest in exchange. He’ll give you His yoke and His burden, and you’ll discover that it is easy and it is light.

If this resonates with you, don’t send in your regrets. Send in your RSVP!

Amen.