The Burden

“What are you still carrying that God never asked you to?”

A certain man came to Jesus for eternal life.

" Master I believe in the sacrifice.

I believe that you died for my sins and that you now live.

May I receive salvation?"

As I stood watching, I saw The mans righteousness, it hung from his tired old frame as filthy rags.

The stench that filled the room, left no mistake that he had wallowed in self pity, for awhile before he came.

His heart was black and hardened by sin.

He walked very slowly, bent over by a huge burden that rested upon his shoulder.

A burden filled with past mistakes, hurts, bitterness and anger.

What Jesus saw made him smile.

He saw his repentant heart.

" Yes my son I give you salvation." Jesus touched the man.

The Lords blood began to flow over him, washing him as white as snow.

Immediately the man's own righteousness fell to the ground.

Jesus clothed the man in his righteousness a beautiful garment of praise.

The man began to shine with the glory of the Lord.

The sweet fragrance that filled the air, was the peace of God.

Jesus took away his stony heart and gave him a heart of flesh.

I was astounded, the man looked like a new creature.

As the man turned to travel down life's path.

I watched but confused, the man was still stooped under the weight of the huge burden upon his shoulder.

Why would the man want to take this baggage on his journey I wondered.

As the man walked with Jesus the pace was slow because of the huge burden. During the man's time with the Lord, he began to notice the heavy burden.

He questioned the Lord about it.

" Come unto me and I will give you rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden light," the Lords replied.

The man considered what the Lord said."

Lord it is to heavy, I can not lift it off of my shoulder to give it to you." " You can do all things when I strengthen you," said the Lord.

"But Lord I don't know where the burden ends and my shoulder begins.

I have carried it for so long , it is a part of me."

" Trust in me, said the Lord, for it was I that fashioned you in your mothers womb."

the man plodded on and pondered the words of the Lord.

As he went on with his life, he stumbled many times under his huge load.

He choose wider paths on which to travel, for some paths were far to narrow for him to travel down with the huge burden he carried.

As people past him on the path, many of them bumped into the man, sending him spinning in confusion.

" Why doesn't any one like me?" the man wondered.

" No one can get to close to you because the burden you carry gets in the way." said the Lord.

The man tried to ignore the burden as he had before but he was angry and his baggage was heavier than it had ever been.

The man avoided talking to the Lord because it reminded him of the burden.

The man traveled on and decided to take a particularly wide path, actually, forced by the enormity of his load.

There were many pit falls on this path. He began to stumble often. 

As he fell his garments tore, becoming ragged and dirty. His heart grew cold and blackened.

There was not much light on the path, all was dim.

Soon he found himself wallowing in self pity again.

I began to see the old man I saw before, tired, cold, and very hungry.

Once again, the man stumbled under the enormous weight of the burden.

"Where am I ? " the man cried.

The Lord gave light so the man could see.

The man was sickened. " Just look at me! How did I get here? Am I not saved?" " You are saved, said the Lord."

"Was I not close to you Lord?"

" You were close to me but you would not let me take your burden and you could not run the race I sat before you, said the Lord."

" Lord if I come to you for forgiveness, will I not end up here in filth again?" " If you give me your burden, I can make you an overcomer, the Lord said.

"The man struggled to a stand, shaky and week kneed.

He lifted his eyes to the Lord and ask for forgiveness.

Once again I saw the man transformed but this time, with new strength. With that strength he lifted the huge burden from his shoulders gave the burden to the Lord.

No longer did he stoop, he stood upright and tall.

He could move much faster with out the load.

He began to run in the race.

The Lord showed him a narrow path with fewer pit falls.

With his new found strength he began to overcome the high hurdles he came across on the path.

Such joy, such relief, the man was now free.

The man tried to tell others about his freedom but most of them looked at him like he was crazy, ignored him and plundered off slowly on there own.

After time the man came to the end of his rode.

I was surprised at what I saw.

The once tired old man was now a muscular, athletic, young man, that looked very much like his savior.

Jesus met him with open arms, saying "well done, my son, I recognize you.

Come and spend eternity with me."

As quickly as I saw them, they were gone and I was left all alone pondering the weight of my own heavy burden.