PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 11:25-30
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Jesus praises the Father because he has revealed himself to “little children” (11:25).
It is not the “wise and learned” (11:25) the Father is revealing himself to… why?
What does he have against the wise and learned, or for the little children?
Is it not because the little children are usually the disadvantaged ones?
The ones who are weary and burdened, longing for soul rest?
Burdened by the yoke of those who are not gentle and humble?
Those with the advantages, with authority and power usually ‘lord it over’ others.
This is not what the Father, Lord of heaven and earth, is like.
In my own experience, the ones I have the hardest time with are the wise and learned.
The humble and gentle come to seek and learn; the wise and learned to demand or declare.
They impose yokes of orthodoxy or order on you, insisting you comply.
They do not worry about those burdened by their yokes, only about their rightness.
But Jesus is not interested in their rightness, nor is he impressed by it.
He sees the weary and burdened, and offers himself as a safe place for them.
PRAYER
Lord, I come to you for rest; use me to help others come to you and rest.
‘Come to me who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest’. Oh how I long for that rest. Come into my heart Lord Jesus.
Oh blessed open door to my exceeding need. Unworthy sinner that I am. I believe God, help me when I have trouble finding You.
“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.” These are to me some of the most comforting words in scripture. I can get anxious about many things happening today – with war, with disasters, famines, poverty, injustice, religious divisions, persecution and global climate change. How can I be at peace? I can take my role, my yoke as Jesus’ yoke – take the burden and walk in peace knowing that through Jesus I will be able to do my part. Help me Lord to take your yoke as my yoke – show me each day what I must do and encourage me to do it!
Come to Jesus. Know Him and He will give you rest. Be like a child and believe. Child like faith. No questions asked. A child believes in His father and obeys doing His will and I need to do the Father’s will. He will lead and guide me along the way and giveme the strength to obey. Just go and do His will.
1 “Come unto Me and I will give you rest;”
What blessed words to weary ones addressed!
They come from Him who knew the depth of woe,
And felt for sinners as none here below.
2 “Come unto Me;” yes, come in all your sin!
Through Jesus blood the vile may enter in,
May come to God, by perfect grace thus led,
Assured that for themselves that blood was shed.
3 “Come unto Me;” yes, God Himself says “Come!”
He sees afar and runs to welcome home
Unworthy sinners, who have nought to plead
But God’s own love, and their exceeding need.
4 “Come unto Me;” oh, blessed open door
For those who but for Christ had hoped no more!
Oh, love of God! told out in full extent,
When Jesus to those depths of darkness went!