“Come unto me, all ye that
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and
ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
(Matthew 11:28-29)
The soprano
soloist brings this first section that is often referred to as the “Christmas
portion of Messiah” to a close. The
words of Jesus are reminders to us on a cold winter’s day, amidst the discarded
wrapping paper, opened gifts, and for some, the silence of an empty house, that
our weariness and burdens are known to God.
The baby of Bethlehem is proof of God’s love and willingness to become one of us, to help
carry the burdens that often weigh so heavily on us. With that in mind the
chorus now closes by affirming that “His
yoke is easy and his burden is light.”
As I write this, I
cannot know what Christmas Day will bring for you or for our world. But I do know that in the coming Christ, we
have a refuge, a strength, a place of rest in the midst of whatever we
face. Therefore, with Handel as he
notated the final copy of his great work, “SDG”…Soli Deo Gloria; To God alone
the Glory. Amen.
A Blessed
Christmas to You,
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