Lay Your Burdens Down 7-26-09
Actress Mischa Barton was recently hospitalized for her own protection; last year she had been arrested on drug-related charges. A Los Angeles mother killed her 4-year-old son by stabbing him to death and then slit her own wrists. The Governor of South Carolina was exposed as having left the country to have an extramarital affair. These three news stories show the heavy burden of dark sin and deep despair that weighs down mankind: Ms. Barton is but one of many examples of Hollywood stars who seem to be trying to find the quickest path to personal destruction; this mother entered some dark place in her soul that allowed her to brutally slay her own child; and Governor Mark Sanford (who had until this been held up as a possible Presidential hopeful in 2012) basically torpedoed his political dreams and shattered his marriage for a fling with his “soul mate”.
This is nothing new! Many examples of this behavior are shown to us in the Bible.
They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. (Luke 8:26-29 NIV)
As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, “Help me, my lord the king!” The king replied, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?” Then he asked her, “What’s the matter?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.’ So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him,’ but she had hidden him.” (2 Kings 6:26-29 NIV)
One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (2 Samuel 11:2-4 NIV)
Here we see three examples of similar behavior: a life seriously derailed and out of control, a mother killing her son, and a ruler abusing power and privilege to gratify carnal lusts. This is the condition of all mankind, even though these are particularly disturbing examples for us. The world wants us to fill up with sin and depravity. It wants us to shed true morality that is fixed by the creator for a false one made up by men and changed at a whim.
This world uses people up and discards them like yesterday’s garbage. If you seek out the world, you will have to give up everything about you that links you to God; likewise if you seek out God you will have to rid yourself of the world’s influence.
“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 gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)
Jesus knows the heavy, unbearable burden mankind struggles with. So he came to lift it off of our shoulders in order that we could take up his burden through the grace of God. If you stay with the world, you will never escape the world’s burden of sin and despair; if you choose Jesus, you will indeed lay down those oppressive burdens and pick up God’s mercy, love, hope, and forgiveness. The choice should be easy: lay your burdens down and pick up Christ as your burden.
-Charles Peterson