The frustrations of Jesus, Matthew 11:25-27. July 15 by Buckshot

You can view this post on Youtube here

Nga mihi mahana e hoa ma, rangimarie ki a koutou katoa. Warm greetings friends to this reflection on today’s gospel text – Matthew 11:25-27.

In these three verses Jesus seems to be very frustrated. He is totally confident in who he is and the relationship he has with God, his father – but he seems amazingly disappointed that the people he has recently been with don’t get this or want to embrace his way.

He is excited that infants, children get it, but again the wise and intelligent seem to not. Only in the previous chapter he was scolding people for behaving childishly and celebrating those who recognized his wisdom. This flipping of terms and possible contradiction is worth exploring but too big for this korero. Wrestle with that in your own time and seek to discover the deep riches that Jesus has to offer us.

For now, I want to consider this frustration at not being understood that Jesus has expressed.

As bikers we are often misunderstood – we can get frustrated that straights and people in power paint us in poor ways some of the time. Riding is dangerous, loud and impolite – and then we wear colors! Those patches that bind us together in ways that advertising slogans do not. Today Jesus is our brother, totally in solidarity with us – the people do not get him as many do not get us. Try explaining why carving up a windy road, or riding in a pack or cutting through traffic is so much fun; or how our colors cement our brotherhood.

It can be hard to learn new things and embrace them. I remember my first ride as a pillion on a mates bike. The road was wet, the first corner looked slippery, way to slippery to lean into – so I sat up! Oh what I have learned since then. Leaning into corners, so important for staying on your bike, keeping those tyres warm and stuck to the road. Even more important to work them on a cold and wet day.We know this stuff, we love it and can’t get enough, even in the rain. But those who don’t know it or don’t want to know it can seem so different and difficult to explain these things too.

Maybe you are more of a biker than you are a God-botherer or Jesus follower. No worries – you know how to lean, even when it seems counter-intuitive to do that. You know you can trust those around you.

Leaning into Jesus and his free for all love; even love for strangers and enemies seems like an odd or dangerous thing to do. Yet this is the way to discover liberation from lies and pain. It is the door to freedom to live with grace and mercy to whoever may need it. It is the way to know deep love that has no boundaries, love that rebuilds relationships and offers us safe community.
Like my first ride as a pillion in my youth this type of leaning can feel strange at first – but with time, a bit of trust and practice we will discover that abundant life Jesus offers. It is the way to restore friendships, redeem our stuff-ups and breathe hope and new life into them.

Today as we feel this frustration of Jesus, may we recognise his brotherhood with us and choose to lean into his way with courage, faith and hope. We all love to lean and scrap those pegs together – let’s do that with Jesus and live free today and always.Rangimarie ki a koutou.

Cheers

Buckshot – Wellington chapter, New Zealand

You can view this post on Youtube here

Matthew 11:25-27

At that time Jesus said “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such is your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.