Hello, I’m Jeff Cavins and today we’re going to look at the readings for the 14th Sunday in ordinary time. The theme of the readings this week really focuses on life in the spirit and when we talk about life in the spirit oftentimes I think we just come to a conclusion of well it means I’m a Christian you know and I receive the Eucharist and I go to church regularly but what does it really mean to live life in the spirit?
Paul talks about this in Romans chapter 8 in starting in verse 9 he says but but you are not in the flesh you are in the spirit if the Spirit of God really dwells in you anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him and then we moved to verse 11 if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his spirit who dwells in you. I think this is an important theme for us as Christians to be consciously aware on a daily basis as to whether we’re living in the spirit or whether we are living in the flesh now how can we tell?
Well Jesus gives us in the Gospel reading today a wonderful way to live in the spirit in fact I would say it is the way to live in the spirit before we get to that let me just explain one thing to you and that is that when Jesus called his disciples in John chapter 6 he called his disciples to follow him and it was an invitation it was a formal invitation that every rabbi during the time would invite others and he would say to others let her I in Hebrew come follow me and when he would issue that invitation to come follow him he was inviting them to be his companion to be with him constantly so that he could share with them and teach them really how to live in the kingdom how to live in the spirit and he says something in the reading this week which I think is very very powerful.
In Matthew’s Gospel chapter 11 starting in verse 25 it says at that time Jesus declared I thank you Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to infants yes father for such was your gracious gracious will all things have been delivered to me by my father and no one knows the son except the father and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the son chooses to reveal him then he says this in verse 28 I know you probably heard this before come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
That’s a beautiful beautiful text where Jesus says take my yoke upon you but what does that mean when a rabbi in the first century Jesus who’s more than a rabbi he is the son of God he is he is our spousal partner he is in a covenant with us when he says take my yoke upon you what does he mean what it meant was this when a rabbi said take my yoke upon you he was saying take my world view upon you take my will upon yourself and live in my world view live under my yoke that’s what it means my friend to live in the spirit if you want to know if you’re living in the spirit and not the flesh you have to ask yourself are you walking under the yoke of Jesus are you walking with his worldview and his plan what does he think about marriage what does he think about children what does Jesus teach about money what does he teach about heaven and hell what does he teach about judging one another what is what does he teach about the poor in the widow and those who are disenfranchised that is his yoke and if you walk in that you will be walking in the spirit.
I think a lot of people fight this sometimes and they say I really struggle with the flesh and I really struggle with where with sin and they say I am just going to double down and I’m going to resist this the rest of my life and I’m going to go to confession but I’m just going to resist it listen if you spend your time just resisting evil in your life you’ll never get around to actually walking in holiness and walking according to his will the way to overcome the flesh is not just simply to resist it and that’s all you’re going to do the way to overcome the flesh is to walk in the spirit it’s to walk according to his will it’s to take his yoke upon yourself and walk as a disciple the weight of freedom is walking it isn’t just sitting back and resisting and having a strong will it is doing what he commands us to do so this week I pray that you will take his yoke and walk in it. God bless you.
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Source: Jeff Cavins, Ascension Press. Are you Living in the Spirit. Aired: Jul 7, 2023.
Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church 