Sunday Sermon
By the Rev. Mark Eichler Faith Lutheran Church
Originally published 01:32 p.m., June 27, 2008
Updated 01:32 p.m., June 27, 2008
Sometimes when traveling, I can travel pretty light, but I have taken a few trips where I felt like a pack mule carrying so much gear. I remember a trip where I had to take along professional clothes, recreational clothes, and the gear and equipment for both. I was going to be gone for quite a while, so I had to take along a lot of baggage. When I got to the gate at the airport, they met me with those magic words, “Let me help you with your baggage.” I can tell you, I did!
In the Bible, in Matthew 11:28, Jesus gives us a wonderful invitation that’s like what those baggage carriers gave. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Now we all have baggage, the emotional kind. In fact, you might be carrying a lot of pain right now. Maybe there are some things in your past that seem crippling. Maybe you’ve received some bad news recently or maybe it’s an overload of stress. Many carry baggage from a divorce -- whether it’s your own or a family member’s. Maybe you’ve endured abuse or just a bad relationship. Or perhaps the baggage you’re trying to carry all by yourself is the weight of a serious medical condition or a financial crisis. Sometimes the emotional baggage can even be guilty feelings over things you now regret doing or words you wish you could take back.
But whatever the baggage, know that you were never meant to carry it all by yourself. That’s the point of Jesus’ words. You don’t have to handle that baggage without a Savior. In effect, Jesus says to us, “Come to Me. I want to carry it.” He’s a burden carrier. He knows your pain. He understands it because He’s been there. He’s experienced everything from loneliness, to betrayal, to torture, to dying, and Jesus has dealt with the deadliest baggage of all that we carry: the sin of our lives and the guilt that goes along with it. Jesus suffered and died on the cross, as our substitute, paying in full our debt of sin. Now God calls us to be His children and He draws us to Himself, through faith in Christ Jesus.
So, to apply this to our lives, the strong arms of Jesus are reaching out to you right now. He says, “Let Me help you with your baggage. I can handle it. I already bore all the weight of all your sins on my cross. Come to Me, and I will give you rest.” That’s Jesus’ promise. We have help with our baggage!
• “Sunday Sermon” is a forum for Emporia area ministers to share their sermons, thoughts and observations. This week’s sermon is from the Rev. Mark Eichler, pastor of Emporia’s Faith Lutheran Church.