One of my favorite hymns is, “Be though my vision Oh Lord”. It is the translation of an old Irish hymn composed in the 8th century. It was translated into English in 1904. The 4th stanza of the hymns says, “Riches I heed not, nor vain empty praises. Thou mine inheritance, now and always; Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, high King of heavens, my treasure Thou art.” Speaking about vision, Helen Keller said, “The only sad thing worse than being blind, is to be born with sight but with no vision.” Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people will perish.”
Let me share a few passages from the words of Christ.
I. Matthew 11:28 to 30 The Vision of the Inviting Christ.
“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 gently and humble in heart,and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
All of us go through critical moments in life. It may be emotional, or mental or social or spiritual or materiel or a health issue. It may be some one who has betrayed you. It may be some regrets or fears or sin of guilt. We react in different ways. We get stressed or tensed up or gripped with anxiety or anger or bitterness. To escape some take to the bottle, some to drugs or something else.
The comforting fact is, whatever our condition may be, Jesus invites us lovingly to help us. He invites us to Him to give us peace. He says take my yoke upon you. Oxen with yoke are a common sight in rural India. Yoke is a wooden harness which placed on the oxen makes them to pull plow together in the same direction. What does Jesus mean by this? It means that we must allow Him to rule our lives in obedience and trust, and He will guide and lead us on according the purpose and plan He has for us. He says that we should learn from Him as He is gentle and humble and that we will find His yoke very easy and His burden very light, and we will find rest for our souls.
He wants our souls resting on the surety that he will keep his promise to us in the best way at the best time. “Come to me,” he says, “cast your anxieties on me for I care for you” (see 1 Peter 5:7). “Trust in me with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding” (see Proverbs 3:5), he says, “and you will find rest for your souls.”
