Courtenay Evans, “Leaving the Race”

Matthew 11: 28-30

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

There was a man who trained for a very prominent bicycle race—In fact he had never trained so hard in his life. The race day finally arrived, and he was ready.  The race began. The man cycled fast, and immediately, he was far, far, ahead of all the other cyclists. In fact, when he looked behind, he could see no one, nor could he hear them. He had strived to be the very best in cycling—all of his training had paid off. He would win the race.

This story of the cyclist sounds equivalent to our daily life, doesn’t it? This race of life where culturally we must strive to achieve…to be the best at everything we do or to do better then everyone around us. Our self-worth with our family, friends and society is often tied up with our success. We feel we are more valued, and respected when we climb that next ladder with a promotion; when we buy that bigger house; when we reach that next income bracket. To be loved, we must achieve, we must cross the next finish line. Yet, this constant efforting as we all know, is exhausting, and never leads to contentment. In Buddhism they call this phenomenon the “Hungry Ghost.” We keep feeding the ghost more and more, yet it is never enough. We are never enough.  

There were four students who studied with a monk. And one day the monk asked the students: why do you ride your bike? One student answered: I ride my bike to see the beauty around me. The monk responded; I commend your efforts to appreciate beauty.  Another student answered: I ride my bike to haul my potatoes. The monk responded: I commend your efforts to carry your food. Another student answered: I ride my bike to be in harmony with all beings. The monk responded: I commend your efforts to find compassion for others. But the fourth student answered: I ride my bicycle just to ride my bicycle. To ride his bicycle with no purpose or intention in mind; without a goal to achieve, to rest in the joy of just riding his bicycle. To be refreshed. Come to me all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Do nothing, rest in me, just be, Jesus says, and here you will find rest for your weary souls.

And as the professional cyclist, who had trained so hard, continued the race, far in front of everyone else, the route wound through a beautiful valley. And in this valley, a huge blue heron swept down before him, passing just in front of his handlebars. And in that instance, the cyclist stopped, he came to a screeching halt to take in the magnificent heron that flew before him and to take in the beauty of the valley. And what happened in an instant? The other competitors quickly cycled right by him. Years later a man asked this cyclist, why did you lose the race? And the cyclist responded, I did not lose the race, I left the race. 

This is what Jesus does for us, Jesus allows us to leave the race of life, he allows us to leave the efforting and the striving, and the desire to always be productive and achieving. Jesus says to us: you are loved just as you are; you do not need to do to be valued; you do not need to feed the Hungry Ghost.  You are my beloved child. Just ride your bicycle to ride your bicycle. This is enough in God’s eyes. Come to me all who labor and are 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. Amen.