How often have we dreaded something we knew we had to do, only to find out after we did it that it wasn't nearly as bad as we'd feared? Remember just last Sunday, when Jesus told his disciples that they would have to take up their crosses and be willing to lose their lives for his sake? Our own crosses, our burdens, may seem so overwhelming that we'd rather ignore them, lest we be crushed by their weight. On the other hand, today we hear Jesus reassure us, explaining that his yoke is easy and his burden light. In fact, Jesus invites everyone who labors and is burdened to come to him and he will give them rest. Carrying our crosses, shouldering our burdens, and giving up our self-centeredness can be difficult and scary, but Jesus does not require us to go it alone. He will accompany us every step of the way, easing the load we carry. We can trust in him because he carried his own cross—literally as well as figuratively—and even though he is God the Son, he chose to obey the will of God the Father. Just as Jesus has lightened our load in enabling us to overcome sin and death, he continues to lighten our load by supporting us as we lift those burdens that weigh so heavily upon us.

What burden is threatening to overwhelm you this week? How do you picture Jesus lightening it for you?

¿Qué cruz estás cargando hoy?

¿Cuántas veces hemos temido algo que descubrir, una vez hecho, que no era ni de lejos tan terrible como temíamos? ¿Recuerdas el domingo pasado, cuando Jesús dijo a sus discípulos que tendrían que cargar con su cruz y estar dispuestos a perder la vida por su causa? Nuestra propia cruz, nuestra carga, puede parecernos tan abrumadora que preferimos ignorarla, por miedo a quedar aplastados bajo su peso. Sin embargo, hoy escuchamos a Jesús tranquilizarnos, explicándonos que su yugo es suave y su carga ligera. De hecho, Jesús invita a todos los que están cansados y agobiados a acudir a él, prometiéndoles descanso. Cargar con nuestra cruz, sobrellevar nuestra carga y renunciar a nuestro egocentrismo puede resultar difícil y aterrador, pero Jesús no nos pide que lo hagamos solos. Él nos acompañará en cada paso del camino, aliviando el peso que llevamos. Podemos confiar en él porque él cargó con su propia cruz, tanto literal como figuradamente, y, aun siendo Dios Hijo, eligió obedecer la voluntad de Dios Padre. Así como Jesús aligeró nuestra carga al permitirnos vencer el pecado y la muerte, sigue aligerándola al sostenernos mientras levantamos esas cargas que pesan tanto sobre nosotros.

¿Qué carga amenaza con abrumarte esta semana? ¿Cómo imaginas a Jesús aligerándola para ti?