Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
St. Matthew 11:28-30
Come unto me. What a beautiful invitation for people living in a suffering burdened world. A world marked by indifference and rejection where outstretched hands find little response and pleading cries go unanswered.
The words are simple, and the meaning is unmistakable. Anyone who struggles with problems or difficulties and seeks relief is urged to come to Jesus. For you see, God does not remain at a distance. He, who is high above us, as Lord of all, is also with us, as our Loving Father and Gracious Savior. He came to us in His Son, Jesus Christ, to reveal Himself as the God of deliverance.
He does not intend that our struggles continue indefinitely, surely not eternally. Burdens will be lifted, and ordeals will be terminated. Gathered round his word and seated at His table, we hear His voice, feel his presence, and experience His Grace. How wonderful to commune with God and how amazing that such communion is even possible. Yes, Jesus opened the way, and He continues to say: Come unto me!
You see, to Jesus, the great need of humanity and the world was apparent. This 11th Chapter of Matthew, underscores, John the Baptist’s doubt concerning Jesus Messiahship, the fickle and critical attitude of the multitude toward His message, and the persistent impenitence of those cities, where Jesus had performed most of His mighty works.
Now, confronted with these reactions to His ministry, would Jesus have been justified in bidding farewell and leaving men to the consequences of their own attitudes and actions?
When men doubt the message, why continue to proclaim it? When men refuse salvation, why continue to offer it?
But Jesus came on a mission of mercy. He remained sensitive to the needs of those who are lost and persisted in His efforts to save. This was His Father’s will. So, as He did before, He raised His voice in a pleading invitation, “Come unto me.”
For He understands us better than we understand ourselves. Picture if you will, for a moment, the world in which Jesus lived – the donkey with a heavy load on its back, the camel transporting an even greater cargo, and people weighted with yokes on their shoulders or carrying vessels and baskets on their heads. What a life of stress and strain!
Then everywhere Jesus saw the deaf, the blind, the lame, the leprous, the poor, and the oppressed. But the greatest burdens of all were those weighting on hearts and minds: Questions people could not answer, problems they could not solve, conditions they could not change, and hearts they could not heal. Yes, the Lord of Life had come into a dying world!
But Jesus could never remain indifferent because the heart of God is not cold and hard. He was moved with infinite compassion, and as the great physician, He healed all manner of diseases. He performed deeds of might and mercy and miracles of Grace. He provided blessed relief and signified that He came to deal with the underlying cause – to lift the burden of sin. He was God’s answer to a universal need. For He is the sinner’s only hope to salvation.
Now, this throbbing invitation, Come unto me is accompanied with the thrilling promise, I will give your rest. For all who turned to Jesus realizing and confessing their need, will find in Him what they can find “nowhere” else. Only the Son of God can give peace and satisfaction. Rescue from sin is beyond human power; all our efforts are bound to fail.
And with Joy, I want you to know that the serenity Jesus graciously provides need not be earned. In fact, it can’t be earned or bought. For it is not based on merit but is a gift of Grace.
Notice Jesus says, “I will give you rest.” If this is so, why then are we still troubled and ill at ease? We should know the answer. We should know it from God’s word and from our own conscience. Though saved, we are still imperfect. We are inconsistent, faulty in our obedience, and weak in our faith.
How we wish we could be more pleasing to God. What then shall we do? We should look to God for grace, strength, and encouragement. We should find our consolation and hope, in the cross. We must believe that we are forgiven; we must believe that we have found mercy, and we must believe that He has looked beyond our faults and see our needs!
Then the gracious invitation and promise of Jesus are accompanied by an enlightening injunction, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me …and you shall find rest unto your souls…” The rest, which Jesus gives, grows day by day, and we grow in appreciation of its blessedness.
You might say that you wish that were true, in your case? And you are not alone in feeling that way. That is why Jesus gives enlightening instruction; he points the way to greater tranquility.
You see, to take His yoke means to submit to His guidance and authority. It means to let Him choose the way and to follow Him in it. We receive rest by faith and enter more fully into it by obedience. We grow in assurance and comfort when we recognize and honor our Savior as the Lord of our lives.
Now I know that seems difficult, and it is. But when we learn how gentle and humble our Savor is, when we realize that He is meek and lowly in heart. When we start to really appreciate the greatness of His love; experiencing His gentle care, and being influenced by His perfect example, His yoke becomes easy. Duty becomes desire, and willing follow-ship becomes joyful fellowship.
And I want you to know as the songwriter wrote: I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad, but I found in Him, a resting place, and He has made me glad!
This is Rev. Dr. Wm. Rocky Brown, 3rd letting you know that GOD and I Love you, and we approve this message because we want to motivate your mind, body, and soul. So be happy and enjoy the blessings of The LORD today, my friend!
Please subscribe to my website to receive these messages daily at http://www.yourspiritualmotivation.com. You can also buy my publication: “800 SAYINGS BY OLD FOLKS WHO RAISED US” from Amazon.com or by email: or by calling 215-480-5333. The cost is $20.00 s/h included.
This material is copy-written and legally protected.
