Were sweeter words ever found in Scripture for a harried people?
“‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
To be a disciple implies taking on the discipline of a master, doing whatever he or she tells you to do. The Pharisees and teachers of the law demanded much of their followers, to keep the Law of Moses perfectly in every particular. Along the way, nuances of love, mercy and relationship often fell by the wayside. The burdens of these demands were heavy indeed, and never satisfactorily met - except by the Teachers, of course.
The same can be said of the demands our culture places upon us these days – to be more productive, more successful, more financially secure, more fashionable, attractive, sweet-smelling, popular… you name it. The new law is no less onerous than the old. And so Jesus’ invitation is alive for us as well.
We too take on a yoke when we take on Christ’s life – yokes being the apparatus placed on oxen so they can pull a cart. We offer our obedience to him and take on the ministry of being his apostles, his witnesses – proclaiming the Good News, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, freeing the captives. Like his original disciples, we are sometimes called to give up things or people that we find precious for rewards only known later.
But Jesus says his yoke is easy, and his burden is light. Unlike the burden of the Law-bound, his is the yoke of freedom in God. Unlike the arrogant Teachers, he is gentle and humble in heart; he was never ashamed to eat with obvious sinners and people on the margins.
Do you want to find rest for your soul? For many of us, our soul is the most restless part of us, especially in a culture that does not privilege space for the spiritual.
Have you experienced knowing Jesus as restful or stressful? If it’s stressful, we might want to take a look at what part of his message we’re focusing on.
What can you do today to find rest for your soul? You might be in a traffic jam getting away for the holiday weekend, which would be pretty much the opposite of finding rest for your soul, right? If that should happen – and I pray it will not – you might ask Jesus to refresh you in the midst of that stress. Pray for other drivers, especially those who get in your way.
And if you’re already where you’re going and easing into a long weekend, may I suggest you start with some “soul rest” time in Jesus’ presence? Hand off your burdens and take on his promise of peace, and spread it around.
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