Please Deposit all Rocks in the Provided Receptacle

Matthew 11:28-30 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.

The other day I was at the gym and sat down to bike. Normally I use that time to listen to sermons and/or praise music or catch up on my Christian book reading. This day I did neither, as I was immediately drawn in by the images on my individualized television. "The Parent Trap" was playing and I smiled as I remembered all the times I've watched this movie with my own children. The heart-warming plot of this show is the chance meeting at summer camp of identical twin children separated at birth and their subsequent scheme to reunite their estranged parents.

Their plan would have gone off perfectly had it not been for one small problem. Unbeknowst to them, their father was already engaged to be remarried. The twins are all too eager to rid their dad's life of the young gold-digger who has connived her way into their father's heart, so a series of planned incidents to run her off ensues. On one occasion, the twins are hiking with their father and future step-mother and they load her backpack with large rocks to make this nature excursion even more excruciating to her than it already was. Even though I should have been laughing, I instead began to wonder to myself if I have loaded any "rocks" to tote around in my backpack during my walk of life with Jesus.

This morning I am reading Acts 15:22-41. The church at Jerusalem has just decided that the additional requirements of circumcision and following the Mosaic law should not be added to Gentile believers. They craft a letter to send with Paul, Barnabas and two additional representatives of the church in Jerusalem to deliver to the church at Antioch. In it they outline four practices to avoid - eating food sacrificed to idols, eating meat that is still bloody, eating meat from animals that had been strangled and sexual immorality. Other than sexual immorality, none of these are prevalent problems in modern day America but I am certain there is still a lesson for me to learn here.

At the time of Christ, there was over 600 Levitical laws. Additionally, any given rabbi could create his own addendums, so many devout Jews were carrying around literally thousands of dos and don'ts in their heads. The church leadership pared all those down to just four life principles to be followed. That's quite an improvement, in my opinion.

Jesus did the same for us when He was walking this earth. He pared all the teaching of the Bible down to two principles. In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus has been asked which is the greatest commandment in the Jewish law. Jesus simply answers, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'.'"

Do I add any rocks to my backpack? Dozens of them come to mind, but here are just a couple of blaring examples:

• People Pleasing - This Rock = Loving my neighbor means that every person approves of everything I do at all times. Jesus' truth is that His is the only approval I need. As long as I am loving His people, the results of that love are up to Him.


• Insecurity - This Rock = Loving my neighbor means they will love me back in such a way that I will have no need of God. God's truth is that only He can satisfy the longings of my heart. The only security I need is to be secure in His love.

Thank you, Jesus, that you came to remove all the rocks from my backpack. Today I release every one of them to you. This day I will remember that as long as I'm loving You and Your people, I am doing already what You have asked of me. Indeed your burden is light!