Fr. Frank Majka, SJ – The Bridge

Burdens and Laws

Jesus once told people that if they were burdened, they should come to him and he would give them rest. Interestingly enough, Jesus wasn’t talking about the everyday tribulations that go with being human. He was referring to the religious laws of his day, especially as interpreted by the Pharisees, who taught the keeping not only of the Ten Commandments but several hundred other laws as well.

At the risk of oversimplifying, I think the Pharisees used the Law to interpret and relate to God, so naturally they were upset and scandalized when someone didn’t follow its prescriptions. Jesus, on the other hand, used his experience of God to interpret and relate to the Law. That’s why Jesus felt free to change or ignore it whenever he judged that it failed to sufficiently convey God’s love for us or the love we’re meant to show to others and to ourselves.

Some Christians may think we have become lax in observing our religious rules and regulations. I feel we (especially if we are prone to be scrupulous) should think more like Jesus, who knew that the rules and regulations can sometimes be unnecessary burdens — burdens he wants to take from our shoulders.