CMLC 2026-07-05 Sermon

Howdy. Man, we managed to get through the 4th

of July and you're actually here at church on

a Sunday. All right. Congratulations. All right.

Oh, man. Dino told me I had to come today. So

there you go. But apparently some of the mold

spores decided to bloom this week. So it's a

lot of fun. But you know, we gather today on

a weekend when our nation pauses to celebrate

the 4th of July. And in moments like this, it's

fitting to slow down. and to name what we're

grateful for. We are grateful for the gift of

living in a country where there's freedom of

worship, where we can gather openly as God's

people without fear. We are grateful for freedom

of speech, where voices can be heard and ideas

can be exchanged. We're grateful for the freedom

to gather, where communities can form, churches

can congregate, and neighbors can serve one another.

We're grateful for the opportunity to work, to

build. To study to contribute not just to the

common good but also to our families and the

lives that we've been given We're grateful for

baseball football American football and The other

one's good too, but hot dogs barbecue Buc -E's

giant roadside attractions like balls of twine

and mirrors fireworks and backyard cook -ups

and pickup trucks rock and roll, state fairs,

s'mores, funnel cakes, and, of course, apple

pie. We're grateful for so many things that we

end up taking for granted, but also especially

for the men and women who've served in the military,

for those whose sacrifice has helped preserve

a measure of peace and stability that we also

take for granted. There's so much to give thanks

for, and many of us, as we do so, we might think

to ourselves, About our national anthem, but

you see when I was a kid I was never able to

remember which song was actually the national

anthem So for me, I would always switch back

to Lee Greenwood's God bless the USA and I'd

be like, okay now we're gonna sing God bless

USA I'm like wait, what's this? Oh say can you

see I have no idea and There's that line that

it has where it says I'm proud to be an American

where at least I know I'm free and It captures

something real in the human heart. Belonging,

gratitude, affection for home and people. And

in fact, with all this is there is actually a

distinction that I think we actually do need

to make. Because when we use the word proud,

sometimes it gets confused because proud oftentimes

describes what can be like an achievement. But

you see, being an American, it's not something

that any single one of us has ever achieved on

our own. It's not something that we can earn.

It's not something other than what we receive.

It is a gift that either we were born or welcomed

into, shaped by generations of sacrifice, struggle,

providence far beyond any one single person's

efforts. And that means the more honest posture

is not as much pride as gratitude. Gratitude

that receives what it did not create. Gratitude

that can hold together both the blessings of

freedom and the struggles that our lives still

experience. Yes, life is hard, but gratitude

says I am thankful to be part of this story.

And I am called to live faithfully within it

however God allows me that opportunity. And from

that place, we can give honor where it is due.

For those who have had courage and sacrifice

in our armed forces But also acknowledging that

there are countless others that in our society

in our cities and states throughout our nation

There are those who quietly and faithfully carry

out their tasks so that our nation can be who

it is And you know this nation is carried along

by millions of unseen acts every single day generations

where The blessings of God are lived out by those

who have given so much. So today, we give thanks

not as much about pride, because it's not about

trying to lift us above others, as if somehow

we're inherently better than other people, but

rather with gratitude that opens our heart to

what God has been doing among us. To see that

we're thinking about that opening line If we

were really seeing this from God's perspective,

we might have to say, and I'm humbled to be an

American. It doesn't flow quite as well. And

nobody waves a flag when you're saying how humble

you are. But humility though, that is what helps

us receive life as a gift rather than an achievement.

In the same posture, this is something throughout

American history. There have been seasons where

life was defined by relentless labor and the

pressure to perform. Where people were just treated

like what their worth was in output, productivity.

This isn't just the things that we sometimes

tell ourselves is so difficult. Where we constantly

say, oh, that email could have just been a text

and that meeting could have been an email. But

those who had to be in factories and coal mines

and... on farmlands and ranches and those who

struggled at times rather than experiencing the

nature and joy that we have. There are societies

where we recognize that times when order and

stability was being created, but it oftentimes

would not be for all people. And so this is not

about trying to say whether we have ever intended

to do what is wrong, but rather to acknowledge

that humans typically mess things up when our

pride is involved. And that's why humility matters

so much in our scriptures for today. There's

a quote for you. Humility must always be the

portion of any man who receives a claim earned

in the blood of his followers and the sacrifices

of his friends. Eisenhower spoke these words

during the Guildhall speech in London in 1945.

As supreme allied commander, he had just overseen

the defeat of Nazi Germany. Having sent millions

of men into combat, he used this moment of monumental

victory to reflect solemnly on the devastating

cost of war, rejecting personal pride in favor

of the sacrifices of his troops. Sorry y 'all

Abraham Lincoln known for guiding the nation

through the Civil War promoting generals who

had criticized him and in even admitting when

the military strategies had failed There's a

quote associated with him I have been driven

many times upon my knees by the overwhelming

conviction that I had nowhere else to go My own

wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient

for the day That posture of humility is not only

helpful for understanding civic life But it also

parallels something deeper that we need to think

about with our gospel reading Not because Christ

came to make us American that is not what the

cross is about But rather because the freedom

that we experience here can help us understand

something about how God works Because the freedom

that allows us to hear to receive and to respond

to Christ It's about something not being forced.

Faith cannot be forced. It must be received.

It must be opened by God Himself. And that is

where Jesus is beginning. He's speaking into

a world that was deeply religious, deeply serious

about God. But they were often missing what God

was actually doing right in front of them. Instead

of receiving what God was giving, many had become

focused on trying to maintain control. protecting

their own interpretations, guarding traditions,

and building systems that made their life feel

secure, but also allowed them to resist ever

being corrected. And that showed up in very real

ways. The Sabbath, for example, it was meant

as a gift of rest and trusting in God that He

would take care of you for this one day of the

week. But over time, it became surrounded by

detailed expectations. What counted as work?

How far were you allowed to walk? What could

you or could you not do? Could you help your

friend who was injured? Or would that be considered

work? You'd have to hope he lives until the next

day. Could you walk to see your family, or were

they just a few feet too far away? And that would

be considered breaking the Sabbath. Could you

light a fire? at a time when maybe you'd be at

risk of freezing to death. Something meant to

be a gift of freedom, freedom to rest and to

know God, slowly began to feel like something

that you had to manage correctly just to prove

yourself to other people. Or the purity laws

at the time. They were meant to shape people

that they would show themselves as belonging

to God, but they could be interpreted as ways

to keep a distance. from those who are struggling

or treated as unclean. You could say, I don't

trust you, so therefore, I'm going to keep my

distance from you. And instead of finding a way

to form a community that was merciful, instead,

they use this as an excuse to separate from compassion.

And even devotion and giving could be about correctness

and precision instead of justice. mercy and faithfulness.

It doesn't matter how tight things may be for

you, I give more than you, so therefore, I must

be better in God's eyes. Over time, faith can

sometimes shift from a trust in God to confidence

in believing we are right before God. And even

now, there are echoes of this in our own world.

Whether in work or society, people will oftentimes

measure what they can produce rather than the

dignity of every human being. But there are categories

where we put people into a box instead of trying

to build a relationship with them. Because human

pride always has a way of narrowing down what

we see. And that's the world that Jesus speaks

into. Because Jesus says the Father reveals truth

Not to the ones who are assured of themselves,

but to the humble. Not to those who assume that

they can already see everything clearly, but

to those who are willing to receive like children.

You know that one person in your life who never

is able to be told anything? That one person

where whatever you're discussing, they know the

right answer and you don't really have something

you can correct them on? That one person where

no matter what, even if they are somehow wrong,

it was still all a part of their argument. See,

it's not ever a question of being less intelligent.

It's about being willing to be taught. Something

that we never should outgrow. Because the real

barrier in our lives is not a lack of information.

It's the refusal to let God form us. and it shows

up so often. Sometimes we hear the Scriptures.

We assume we already know what they mean, so

we kind of tune ourselves out and we're trying

to think through what our plans are for later

that day. We stop listening until it's time that

we think we can speak again. Or sometimes we

filter everything through what we already believe

about ourselves. Rather than letting God say,

I see you how you really are, and I'm going to

reshape you. And sometimes whenever we hear correction,

either through a person that we know or maybe

the occasional sermon, our first instinct is

to protect ourselves rather than receive what

we're hearing. We rarely say, I'm being prideful.

We usually say, that just doesn't apply to me.

Because if we're honest, admitting that we're

wrong is scary. It feels like losing something.

We worry that if we let go of the things that

we've always believed, or we admit that we've

failed, then somehow we will lose ourselves.

But Jesus, He never humbles us because He's trying

to shame us. He humbles us so that He can heal

us. Because instead of letting us do things in

our way, He's bringing us back to Himself. Sometimes

life moves so fast that if you don't slow down

long enough, then you can't actually be changed

by what you hear. And all of that is another

form of the same thing. The quiet assumption

that we are already good enough. And that is

why Jesus goes even deeper. And He says no one

knows the Father except the Son. And that is

the turning point. Because Jesus is not just

trying to correct our misunderstandings about

God. He's actually saying that true knowledge

of God That's not something where you climb toward

it with learning enough and praying hard enough

and serving hard enough and then you finally

are at that point. True knowledge of God is something

by being brought into Christ Jesus each and every

day. In other words, humility is not just being

open to being corrected. It is being open to

the relationship that we always need to have.

When I was in college, my mom always wanted me

to give her a call back, but she would never

use an answering machine. Answering machines

were these things that existed before voicemail

and texts. There were tapes, these things that

would scroll and you'd record on these things.

Cassette tapes. I know it's weird. You could

actually put verbs on there. But these answering

machines, my mom would never get one because

she said, I don't want you to leave a message

for me. I want you to keep trying until you get

me. Okay, Mom. Call five minutes later. But you

know, that's the thing about it is because it

was not as much the information as much as making

sure that there was still the relationship. See,

we don't reach God by effort either. We're brought

to Him by the Son who reveals the Father to us.

That relationship is what we need because we're

being led directly into this invitation. Jesus

goes further and says, Come to me, all who labor

and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

And Jesus is speaking to people. They are worn

down. It's not just by life, but by the weight

of trying to get everything right. Because trying

to act like a good Jesus follower It gets exhausting.

It can sometimes feel like a lot of pressure.

And for those who are in his community, the ones

who are constantly following their rabbis, it

was just as exhausting then too. See, maybe many

of us experience these things today. Maybe you're

the parent who lies awake and you're wondering

if you've done enough for your children that

day. Every decision feels important and you're

afraid of getting it wrong. Maybe you're caring

for a spouse or a parent and their health is

declining and you keep discovering that love

is exhausting even though you know it's beautiful.

Maybe work has become one deadline after another

and even when you get home, your mind is still

at the office. Maybe a student who feels like

every grade determines the future because maybe

it does. Or maybe you're retired and wondering

why you think that your best years are behind

you. Or maybe carrying grief that no one else

can see. Carrying guilt that you wish you could

forget. Carrying anxiety that greets you even

before your alarm clock does. And perhaps the

heaviest burden of all is the one that we hide

from everyone else. The feeling that if we could

just do a little better, if we could just be

a little stronger, if we could just have a little

more faith, then maybe God would finally be pleased

and bless us. And then he uses a word that his

followers would have immediately understood.

Yoke. Because unlike a yoke on oxen where they're

plowing through the field with it, this keeping

them together and moving at the same pace, a

rabbi's yoke was about his teaching. To take

a rabbi's yoke meant, I am going to learn your

way of life. I'm going to walk the way you walk.

I will shape my life around your instruction."

And every teacher had a yoke, had expectations

and teachings to follow. Every way of life carried

some form of burden. But some burdens were really

heavy. Some rabbis might interpret a high demand

coming from the law in their interpretation.

And so their students would have little rest

and little mercy. even while they may have seen

themselves in a more forgiving light. Instead

of the rabbis bearing the load along with their

students, they might put the weight on the students

alone. But then there's Jesus saying, take my

yoke instead. Not because there's no weight in

following Jesus, but because the weight is different.

It is light because Jesus carries what we cannot

ourselves carry. Jesus strengthens us to do the

things that He commands. Jesus walks with us

rather than standing over us. Jesus bears the

weight we were not meant to carry alone. And

even in our own history, we know the times whenever

life has felt more like self -reliance than it

has ever been on rest. Being in a world where

we may often feel alone. The times of the past

where people were settling wild country sides

or establishing laws and equality to free people

from physical suffering from past labor. History

has not been something where any of us is meant

to do it alone. But in this life that we live,

Jesus steps into that and offers something different

from the world. Not isolation, but a shared life.

And this is the heart of it. is that he is not

the only one who gives burden. He is not only

one who gives burden, but rather, he is one who

then takes it upon himself. So this is not about

saying here is a burden for you, but rather saying

this is the burden that you deserve, but I will

take it on myself. Because my yoke is easy and

my burden is light. And even as one ox was always

going to be stronger than the other, they were

leading that younger ox along so that they could

live the life they were meant to. And that changes

everything. Because the goal is not that we become

people who prove that we're carrying life well

enough. The goal is that we become people who

walk with Christ. Not proud people who assume

that we've gotten everything right for 250 years,

but grateful people who recognize that we have

been given freedoms, opportunities, and mercy

that go beyond anything we deserve. And each

generation is meant to come again and again to

learn, to grow, and to live more faithfully than

the one before. So we don't treat the past as

something that we should be repeating, but rather,

we look to say what is it that we're called to

do with it right now. We live in the present

where Christ is still teaching, still correcting,

still forgiving, and still guiding. And for all

the places where we know that we haven't lived

the way that we should have, His forgiveness

does not erase the future. It opens it. Because

Jesus is not asking us to carry the weight alone.

He's calling us to follow Him. And because He

is not standing at the finish line, with his

arms crossed saying, are you finally going to

get here? Are you finally going to make it? He

comes alongside us for that burden. He places

his shoulder under that weight. He walks with

us. And when we stumble, he doesn't walk away.

He steadies us, forgives us, and keeps leading

us forward. And that's why his yoke is easy and

his burden is light. Not because life suddenly

becomes simple. But because we never carry it

by ourselves ever again and perhaps that is true

of our lives as Americans as well We don't celebrate

because we have to say we've gotten everything

right We celebrate with gratitude because God

has given us blessings and opportunities To call

that he has called us to love him and to love

our neighbors more faithfully Every new day is

another opportunity where we repent for where

we failed Rejoice for where God has been gracious,

and we keep walking with Christ into the future

He's prepared for us. So may we be grateful to

God, the one who leads us into that future that

is not about us, but about the Savior who has

given us everything in His sacrifice. Amen.