Jul 5, 2026 · 0 min · 13 segments
For a community that had only known impositions, Jesus offers an invitation to learn a new way of carrying the burdens of life. Join Rev. Racquel Gill as she ministers today’s message, “Yoke Lessons,”…
Racquel GillGuest
Lisa YebuahHost
And when addressing this community in Matthew, does not use the language of commandments or instructions, but rather he uses the language of invitation.
They would have remembered in Exodus when God said, on the seventh day, you will rest.
Yet now we don't see Jesus making a demand on this community to rest, but rather extending an invitation to them to come and find rest.
And why might this be so? And I had to remember the words of another guide in this space, Reverend Dr.
who teaches that the reason Matthew 11 shows us a deeply invitational God is because this God comes to encounter deeply traumatized people who are weary in their souls.
Beloved, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is speaking to people not of influence, not of material wealth, not with an abundance of resources, but Jesus is speaking to peasant farmers and field hands, those who are harassed and helpless, is what he said earlier, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus is speaking to those who have no one to protect them and recognizing their vulnerability.
He does not make another demand of them, but rather he offers an invitation to them.
of our trauma, which I've learned from Dr. Donna, is the removal of our choices.
When we experience an event that is traumatic, a loss that is life changing, a community that is harmful or toxic to us, we will often spend the rest of our lives trying to restore and reconnect to our own sense of agency and our own self-empowerment.
When you've been oppressed and marginalized and gone through crisis, a practice or discipline that might actually be good for you can feel harmful to you when it is opposed upon you without any choices.
And here in Matthew, we see a Christ who is not only incarnational, but deeply invitational because this Christ is trauma informed.
We see a Christ who offers an invitation to people who had only been met with impositions.
a jesus who offers a choice to people because he knows that in this life they have only been met with demands we see a christ who offers a request to rest to people who've been only met with a life of hustle and toil and labor that they didn't financially benefit from jesus invite these people to come Not ignoring their trauma, but being informed by it.
Jesus invite these people to come, not erasing their pain, but inviting them to walk with the one who will not wield power over them, but is able to place a new power within them.
And when addressing this community in Matthew, does not use the language of commandments or instructions, but rather he uses the language of invitation.
They would have remembered in Exodus when God said, on the seventh day, you will rest.
Yet now we don't see Jesus making a demand on this community to rest, but rather extending an invitation to them to come and find rest.
And why might this be so? And I had to remember the words of another guide in this space, Reverend Dr.
who teaches that the reason Matthew 11 shows us a deeply invitational God is because this God comes to encounter deeply traumatized people who are weary in their souls.
Beloved, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is speaking to people not of influence, not of material wealth, not with an abundance of resources, but Jesus is speaking to peasant farmers and field hands, those who are harassed and helpless, is what he said earlier, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus is speaking to those who have no one to protect them and recognizing their vulnerability.
He does not make another demand of them, but rather he offers an invitation to them.
of our trauma, which I've learned from Dr. Donna, is the removal of our choices.
When we experience an event that is traumatic, a loss that is life changing, a community that is harmful or toxic to us, we will often spend the rest of our lives trying to restore and reconnect to our own sense of agency and our own self-empowerment.
When you've been oppressed and marginalized and gone through crisis, a practice or discipline that might actually be good for you can feel harmful to you when it is opposed upon you without any choices.
And here in Matthew, we see a Christ who is not only incarnational, but deeply invitational because this Christ is trauma informed.
We see a Christ who offers an invitation to people who had only been met with impositions.
a jesus who offers a choice to people because he knows that in this life they have only been met with demands we see a christ who offers a request to rest to people who've been only met with a life of hustle and toil and labor that they didn't financially benefit from jesus invite these people to come Not ignoring their trauma, but being informed by it.
Jesus invite these people to come, not erasing their pain, but inviting them to walk with the one who will not wield power over them, but is able to place a new power within them.
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