Pentecost 6, 2026
Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
Psalm 45: 11-18
Romans 7:15-25a
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Jesus says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Come to me, he says. Which suggests that’s not our natural inclination, right? When we are weary, and carrying heavy burdens, where do we turn? When we need rest, what do we do? Well, Jesus comes right out and says that we should come to him in the times when we are struggling. And I think it’s a timely reminder for us all to keep that in mind. And here’s why . . . .
We have done our best to make sure everyone knows. So if this is the first you are hearing this news, I am sorry. After ten years serving with you here in Massillon, I have accepted a call to serve with the people at Church of the Ascension, in Lakewood, Ohio, starting in September. My ministry with you will come to a close at the end of this month. For those of you who did not see the email or receive a letter in the mail from me and the Wardens, there are copies by the door in the back and on the table in the parish hall.
So, the priest is leaving, and today we hear Jesus say, come to me. To me. Where might we naturally go instead though? To anger? To disappointment? To worrying about the future? Jesus says come to me, all you that are carrying heavy burdens. Where might we go instead? To panic? To despair? To hopelessness? We’ve got a lot of things to sort out in the next month. A lot of burdens to carry figuring out who does what and how things are done. A lot of things to organize and hand off and work through and—yes—we’ll all be carrying heavy burdens. And Jesus says come to me, all you that are carrying heavy burdens. Perfect.
Jesus also says, come to me all who are weary. I think it’s true that we have all been weary since at least 2020. We didn’t know how to navigate a global pandemic because we’d never seen one before. And rather than bringing us together, covid drove us apart. No matter what decisions were made and no matter for what reasons, we instinctively attributed the worst motives to everyone we disagreed with. And the resulting divisions have never really healed. The deep down exhaustion of those times has never really left us. And we are weary to the bone. And Jesus says, come to me all who are weary. Perfect.
And again, Jesus says come to me. Wherever we are tempted to turn when we are burdened, wherever we are tempted to turn when we are weary, if we aren’t turning to Jesus, then we’re doing it wrong. When we turn to Jesus first, we will find rest for our souls. St. Timothy’s will still be here in August. And Jesus will still be with St. Timothy’s in August, and still saying “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Rest for your souls.
We naturally grieve when relationships end. And lately I have been thinking a lot about the idea that grief is borne out of love. If we didn’t love, we wouldn’t care. If we didn’t love, we wouldn’t grieve. This is a painful time for all of us, because we care, and because we love. And so, we are right to grieve.
But let us all come to Jesus at this Altar today in peace. Come and meet him in the bread and the wine. Let us come to Jesus and find rest. And then, let us go out into the world to do the work God has given us to do, with our souls resting in Jesus. The one who says come to me, and I will give you rest.
Amen
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