Here is a summary of our sermon titled “What I Do Not Want to Do, That Is What I Do.”
Base text: Matthew 11:16-19; 11:25-30
The way we control our temper or our nature is often ineffective; we realize this especially when we see those around us—whether family or friends—drifting away or being hurt by us. “What I do not want to do, that is what I do” is a phrase that acknowledges an internal conflict where your reason tells you that what you did was wrong. Sometimes it is not easy to admit this because you think you are right and others are wrong. Let us reflect on this and consider the counsel we can draw from these words of Jesus.
In the Gospel passage cited, we observe the following:
1. Ambiguous and negative decisions
Jesus compares His generation to capricious children: “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.” What does this reveal about their behavior?
Nothing satisfies them; for instance, if John the Baptist fasted, they said he was demon-possessed; if Jesus shared a meal with sinners, they called Him a glutton. The problem lay not with these leaders, but with the human heart. Let us consider how this plays out in our own lives: we say, “I’ll fix everything tomorrow,” yet we never do. We say, “I’ll start changing tomorrow,” but it never happens.
We desire a different life without changing our decisions. Sometimes, we are experts at finding excuses to avoid obedience.
2. Internal struggle
Let us recall the Apostle Paul. Romans 7 contains one of the most sincere confessions in the entire Bible: “I do not understand what is happening to me.” This expression acknowledges his feelings and his internal struggle. He then adds: “I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do.” He is not speaking in the abstract, but from his own experience. Yet, another force seems to drive us toward evil.
In the world, this manifests as vices, an inability to control one’s temper, and so on. Paul declares: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” He opens the door for us to find the Gospel that guides and reorients us in this regard.
3. Jesus offers us rest
In the passage cited from Matthew 11:25–30, after describing the people’s rejection, Jesus extends one of the most moving invitations in history: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Note that Jesus does not say, “Come when you are perfect.”
He says, “Come as you are.”
Many believe they must change first in order to draw near to God.
Jesus teaches the exact opposite: Come first; then I will transform you.
Today, He invites us to experience that rest, which grants us clarity and confidence in our outlook on life. Do not lose heart, for He tells us that His burden is light—not heavy. It is up to us to adopt an attitude of humility and acknowledge our need for God. We need to see ourselves as we truly are—without making excuses—so that we may continue to change for our own good and the good of others.
By Rev. Paulo Llanco
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