The Gift of Rest

“Come to me all of you that are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly and the burden I give you is light.”

(Matthew 11 28 – 30)

I used to think that the words Jesus spoke on this occasion were addressed to those who were burdened down by the weight of guilt and sin - to those whose lives had reached rock bottom – and were wearied by life and all its problems. I thought this was what Christians called the gospel – that in coming to Jesus the whole weight of sin and its burden would forever disappear.

That such can be a person’s experience there is no doubt – for the burden and weight of sin can be real and overwhelming. Yet, many who might be considered as living “in sin” have no concept of a burden weighing them down. In fact for some, that they have borne a burden at all is never realised until the burden is removed – so subtle and gradual can be the creeping effects of sin.

However, I have come to the conclusion that this is not the true meaning of Jesus words on this occasion for he appears to be contrasting “his rest”, “his yoke” and “his burden” with a yoke and burden imposed by others. The inference in the context is clear – Jesus offers rest from the burden and slavery of religious bondage and drudgery!

Religious people, especially religious leaders, in Jesus day as in ours, placed impossible and unbearable demands and burdens on others. On one occasion Jesus said of them - “They crush you with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to help ease the burden.” (Matthew 23: 4).

Early in the life of the young church some of the leaders, who found it hard to let go of their religious traditions, attempted to place similar burdens on the new converts. But Peter asked them – “Why are you now questioning God’s way by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? (Acts 15:10).

Jesus does not offer us a life of religious drudgery and bondage but a life of freedom, joy, peace and rest. Make sure no one robs you of the gift of rest he offers – for only in his rest and in sharing his yoke can we find true freedom!