Healing Rays of Righteousness

Beverly Sills was a superb and popular soprano opera singer, who died on July 2, 2007. She was also known to be a very joyful and giving person. This is clearly evident in the following story.

Beverly had just completed an outstanding matinee performance, and according to the program, she would give another performance that evening at 8:00. Backstage her loyal fans were congratulating her, when one of them said to her, “You must rest now, because I see that you have to give another performance tonight.”  “No,” said Beverly Sills, “I don’t have to give another performance tonight.”  “Well,” said her fan, “it says here in the program that you have an 8:00 p.m. performance this evening. Did you forget?”  Beverly answered, “Yes, I do have a performance tonight, but I do not have to give it. I get to give it.”

Beverly Sills always felt it was a privilege to be co-laboring with Jesus in blessing people with her singing, and so every musical performance was always a “privilege” and never a “duty.” She never considered it a task to do or a burden to endure. She believed her performance to be co-working with Jesus because she believed that “SINGING” was what God called her to do. And so, always feeling privileged to be yoked with Jesus, she gratefully lived her life SINGING.

In Matthew 11:28-30 we read, “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.”

With these words, Jesus compassionately invites you and me to come to him and find rest, wisdom, and strength for the often difficult and pain-filled journeys of living in a world that frequently challenges our commitment to being faith-filled disciples of Jesus.

It is easy to forget that every difficult situation is also an opportunity to deepen our relationship with Jesus, and to strengthen our trust in him. Yes, Jesus knows our limits of strength and our weaknesses, and invites us to find needed rest by being yoked together with him in our living.

The Greek word for “easy” means “well-fitting” and so I hear Jesus saying, “My yoke fits you well; your work or situation is tailor-made to fit you. Yoke yourself with me, and I will labor with you, making your life easier and your burden lighter.” 

Jesus’ invitation to rest is not the promise of an easy road, but rather of a difficult road made easier because of his being a traveling companion whose wisdom and strength makes the journey more stress-free and restful.

The story of Beverly Sills feeling privileged to be co-laboring with Jesus in blessing others with her SINGING, rightly reminds me that I do not have to love my neighbor. I do not have to share what God has given me. I do not have to feed the hungry, visit the sick, and be a friend to the lonely and dying. I do not have to be kind, compassionate, and considerate of others. As pastor and chaplain, I do not have to preach the “Good News” or minister pastoral care to hurting people at any hour of the day or night.

I do not have to do any of these things, but I am invited to do them as a privilege of being yoked with Jesus in his ministry of loving and serving others. And being yoked with Jesus, God’s gracious love transforms my life and attitude, making my labor and ministry a privilege to do. With the apostle Paul, I now say “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” 

I confess that I have not always viewed my work as being a privilege. My life journey has had its share of dark, difficult, and discouraging times, and my work as pastor and chaplain seemed at times more wearisome obligation than privilege.

But I also can affirm that whenever I would remember Jesus’ invitation and that I was yoked with him, the healing rest I needed flowed into me, making lighter the burden, and transforming my work into a joyous privilege.

I am so grateful to Jesus for his amazing grace in my life and ministry. I now reflect on my many years of being yoked with Jesus in ministry to others as a joyous privilege. And so, I say to you, stay yoked with Jesus. Trust him with your life, and you will forever be glad you did.

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 6/12/24