Have you wondered why your honest
diligent efforts are not bearing any fruit, finding yourself in ever growing
frustration? Have you ever felt as if
the harder you had worked to improve the situation, the worse it became?
Perhaps, it is like catching nothing in
spite of hours of efforts to catch fish. You have exhausted all possible
fishing techniques. Yet, no catch at all.
Imagine how frustrated and tired you could be, if you had to go through
such a situation.
According to the Gospel of Luke, 5:1-11,
an accomplished fisherman of Capernaum, Simon, whom Jesus calls Peter upon giving
the key to the Kingdom of God (Matthew 16:19), had this kind of frustrating
experience with his efforts.
Simon and his fellow fishermen were
fishing very hard all night. So, they would have expected to net many fish.
But, in spite of their diligent efforts, they caught no fish. Imagine, how frustrating it could have been
to Simon and other fishermen.
This is where Jesus appeared and told
Peter where to put the net, resulting in a great catch!
Listening to and following what Jesus
invited to do sure relieved Simon and his fellow fishermen from hours of
frustration, which have worn them out.
………………………………………….
The Gospel reading for the 14th
Sunday (Year A), Matthew 11:25-30, can be put in the context of a frustrating
life situation, like what Simon had with no catch in spite of his efforts in
Luke 5:1-11. A common factor between Matthew 11:25-30 and Luke 5:1-11 is about
a relieving effect of accepting what Jesus offers. In the former Gospel narrative,
it is rest, followed by his yoke, and in the latter Gospel story, it is an
advice, followed by an invitation to become fishers of men.
The 14th Sunday Gospel story, Matthew
11:25-30, follows the narrative of Jesus’ criticism of unrepentant cities on the
coasts of the Sea of Galilee (the Lake of Gennesaret) , Korazin, Bethsaida, and
Capernaum (Matthew 11:20-24). Jesus cast
harsh words on these cities of Galilee for their pride, which prevents them
from repenting, making reference to God’s condemnation upon Tyre and Sidon, as
well as, Sodom, in the Old Testament.
Following this narrative, Jesus praises
the Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for keeping what Jesus offers and their
effects hidden from the wise and learned – but revealing them to children (Matthew
11:25). What this corresponds to the
story of Simon’s futile efforts of fishing in Luke 5:1-11 is that his pride and
sins kept him from catching any fish. However, Simon was able to let his pride
down in response to Jesus’ offer of fishing advice. So, he accepted the advice
and lowered the net.
The Simon’s lowered net upon accepting
Jesus’ fishing advice symbolizes Simon’s pride giving its way to humility.
Thus, fish was no longer hidden from Simon, as his net became full of fish.
Furthermore, he himself recognizes his own sinfulness, feeling that he was not
worthy of being benefited from Jesus and what he offers (Luke 5:8). Yet, Simon
did not reject Jesus and what he offers out of his feeling of
unworthiness. In fact, he accepted what
Jesus offers – an advice of not letting his heart troubled and accepting his
invitation to become a fisher of men, by following his way (Luke 5:9).
Simon’s experience in Luke 5:1-11
parallels Matthew 11:25-30, as Simon’s pride and sinfulness in the former
Gospel narrative corresponds to the pride and sinfulness of the wise and
learned in the latter Gospel narrative.
What the Father hide from the wise and learned (Matthew 11:25) to Simon
in Luke 5:1-11 is fish. And, as Simon’s pride became transformed into his
humility, symbolized with his lowered net, accepting Jesus’ advice (Luke 5:5),
the Father no longer hide fish from Simon, for he has spiritually grown from
being “wise and learned” into a “child”.
In Matthew 11;25, Jesus invite children
(Matthew 11:25), who can understand the truth in Matthew 11:27 (No one knows
the Father except the Son and those to whom he chooses to reveal Him, as no one
knows the Son, until Simon confesses that Jesus is the Son in Matthew 16:16) to
receive what he offers. In this context, Jesus offers rest and his yoke to
those who are as humble as children. In Luke 5:1-11, Jesus invited Simon to
become humble by putting his net lower and offered fish to fill the net. And,
Jesus also invited Simon to accept a “new yoke” by asking to follow his way and
become a fisher of men, rather than sticking to the “old yoke” of being a proud
fisherman of Galilee, subject to nature’s whim.
Putting down his pride, symbolized with
the lowered fishing net, to Simon in Luke 5:1-11, the Father began to reveal
what was hidden from him, not only fish but rather the divine power vested in
Jesus, as he began to show his humility – his ability to become a child. And,
the Father furthermore revealed the fact that Jesus is the Son only to Simon,
who has lowered his pride (Matthew 16:16-17). This was how Simon’s life-long
transformation began, from a proud fisher man in Galilee, to whom the Father
was hiding what the Son can offer, into not only a fisher of men but also the
rock upon which the Son builds his Church.
This transformation was cemented on Pentecost, the infusion of the
powerful Holy Spirit as described in Acts 2:1-12.
The above exegesis of Matthew 11:25-30
in comparison to Luke 5:1-11 suggests that the rest that Jesus offers in
Matthew 11:28 to those who are weary and burdened is not simply a physical and
emotional respite. Rather, it is something that transforms our lives
completely, as what Jesus offered to Simon in Luke 5:1-11 led to his permanent
life transformation. And, this
transformation comes with healing, as symbolized with rest. But, if we have pride like the wise and
learned do, then, we find it difficult to understand and appreciate Jesus’
offer of rest in Matthew 11:28. Also, our pride in ourselves makes it difficult
to take the yoke of Jesus, which is to love, as said in John 13:34-35,
reflecting God, who is love (1 John 4:8).
Clinically, our own pride puts us at a
greater risk of becoming weary and burdened, as Simon might have felt during
these night hours of no catch despite his hard efforts of fishing. Jesus explains this clinical problem of pride
in Matthew 11:25 – a life without the Son and what he offers. In fact, our pride may cut us from God, making
us more individualistic and narcissistic. The greater our pride is, the less we
appreciate God and the covenant with Him.
In the Old Testament, there are so many
episodes on how human pride and wisdom can push us out of God’s covenant and
how such a life outside the covenant can turn into. Those who live with their
own pride and wisdom live in growing weariness and under increasing burdens. If
they choose not to return to the covenant with God, through reconciliation,
then, they would eventually perish under the weight of their own weariness and
burden. But, those who turn their hearts back to God through reconciliation
will live a good life in the covenant.
After so many pride-driven breakaways
from God and His covenant, as described in the Old Testament, God incarnated
Himself as human through Jesus, the Son, to reach out to us more intimately, in
order to save us from the hellish consequences of drifting away from Him with
our own pride. That is why Jesus invites
us to him, stating:
“Come to me, all you
who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and
learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for
yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my
burden light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Jesus’ invitation to a life in him – a life
in the covenant with God – also means to live a life according to the new yoke
of Jesus, the new commandment (mandatum novum) in John 13:34, to love
one another, as he loves us. Thus, the rest that Jesus offers in Matthew 11:28
is not simply a physical and psychological rest but rather a life in Christ, a
life of love. And, it is what Jesus invites us to learn from him.
In order for us to seek and receive the
rest that Jesus offers – a life in Christ, leading to transformation and
salvation, we must begin our efforts of overcoming our ego by lowering our
pride, as symbolized with Simon’s lowered net (Luke 5:5). As in the case of
Buddhism’s goal, we must resolve our ego in order to enjoy a life in Christ completely.
Thus, the rest that Jesus offers in Matthew 11:28 can also be understood in
light of anatman of Buddhism
teaching. A life in Christ is fully
found in the psychospiritual state of anatman.
For this, Paul puts it so well:
"For through the Law I died to the Law, so
that I might live to God. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no
longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for
me” (Galatians 2:19-20).
In
attaining a life in Christ, he is also found in us. This state is a secure
attachment with Christ. The law that Paul refers to in the above is the yoke
that makes us weary, as it is a product of our own pride and wisdom. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus invites us to
replace this burdensome yoke with the new yoke he offers to live a life in him
and to let him in us.
In
anatoman, there is no pride. It means
that there is nothing hidden from Christ, the Son, and what he offers. In this
state, we are awaken (buddha) to the
truth in Christ and in what he offers. It is where we find “rest” in him and
take the” new yoke” he offers, as we live a life of love. And, it is our life
in the secure attachment with God through Christ.
To
benefit from this, we need to let go of our ego and whatever the ego creates,
including pride and burdensome yoke – the law that chokes us with constant
anxieties.
A
life free from distressing anxieties is the rest that Jesus offers in Matthew
11:28. But, it is also a life under Jesus’ mandatum novum in John 13:34, as it is a life of agape. Thus, it is a life of anatman, a life without ego and what it
brings, such as defilements (kleshas). In such life, the seed that Christ saw grows
better and bear abundant fruits, to appreciate Matthew 11:25-30 (the 14th
Sunday Ordinary Time, Year A) in
conjunction with Matthew 13:1-9 (the 15th Sunday Ordinary Time, Year
A) .
Christ has saw good seed in each of us. Let us not kill the
seed with our weary and burdened hearts, as our pride-driven consequences, such
as distress and anxiety, will choke the seed, just as the seed fell among
thorns will die (Matthew 13:7). In the
rest that Jesus offers (Matthew 11:28), our hearts becomes the rich soil where
the seed grows into many fruits (Matthew 13:8) – just as Simon’s net caught so
man fish upon accepting Jesus’ advice (Luke 5:5-6). Let us accept what Jesus offers
us – the rest, so that our hearts become the rich soil for the seed, and the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, which are
the seed that God want us to grow into bountiful fruits, in reflections of the
fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)!
Rest that Christ offers is not just rest for a respite. It is what transforms our hearts into the
rich soil to grow the seed that Christ saw.
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