“All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 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.” (Matthew 11:26–30)
What wonderful words Jesus spoke. They are appealing for they promise great comfort to people overwhelmed by the suffering and cares of life. Jesus spoke them following a discussion about the signs and miracles He was performing. These signs were proof that He was the Messiah that God had promised to send to the Chosen people of Israel. However, many of the Jews, particularly the rich, the educated, and the religious leaders rejected them because they rejected the sign-givers, Jesus and His disciples. They deemed them to be common people, not of the elite ruling religious parties, nor disciples of the scribes and Pharisees. They did not have the proper connections or credentials.
Jesus condemned those who rejected Him because the signs demonstrated the power of God. Instead, He praised the faith of the common people, the poor, the downtrodden, the exploited, lepers, sinners, people the elite despised as unclean and unworthy of their attention or compassion. These poor folk were sad and oppressed by life, by the Pharisees. They accepted the signs Jesus and His disciples worked and believed in Him.
In recognition of their faith, Jesus uttered these words of comfort, an invitation which is attractive and hard to refuse because we all want to be relieved of our burdens and worries. The COVID pandemic and social unrest of the past few years have left many people feeling angry, anxious, and depressed, burdened by fear, worry, and grief. Such feelings have probably exacerbated the violence, incivility, and lawlessness of our present state. People lash out because they feel that their lives are out of control. Such efforts are misguided attempts to gain power and control even though such power comes at the expense of others.
Those people who lash out, who glorify themselves, or demand others glorify them, who try to control others, who are not satisfied with who they are, these all are burdened with guilt, fear, and deep emotional pain. Jesus offers them real hope and peace, yet millions choose to reject this offer. Why? Many people today consider that following Jesus is difficult and burdensome. They feel His demands interfere with their lives, their agendas, their path to self-fulfillment. Not only that, they refuse to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and God for who He is dethrones them from their seats of power, from the thrones on which they have placed themselves.
But Jesus has the only real comfort and peace to grant in this life and the next. Those who are self-sufficient and wise in their own eyes will never rest, not now nor in the age to come. All who seek comfort and rest from their weary lot in life, from their striving to be on top, to be somebody, to establish justice, will find satisfaction and relief only by surrendering their lives and priorities to Jesus. He offers comfort and rest for all the weak and weary.