Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble and heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy in my burden is light.”
This is such a wonderful passage of scripture that many of us are so familiar with. The familiarity sometimes can be an obstacle to continue to deep dive into the wonderful promises that are given by Jesus. Who among us has never been weary and seem to have been at the end of our rope? What does it mean for each and every one of us and also what does it mean for the mission of Faith In Practice?
Maybe the best way to examine this is to break down each one of these promises. Certainly, we can relate to the weariness in this world right now, both here at home and in Guatemala. I’m sure many of you have been touched either directly or indirectly by the heartbreaking tragedy of the floods in central Texas. And then shortly after we were informed of the incredible series of earthquakes in Guatemala. I’m sure there’s a lot of weariness in both of those heartbreaking events. And on a regular basis our mission volunteers encounter the challenges of patients who have been debilitated, sick or lame for many years and have experienced a prolonged daily weariness that’s beyond what we can comprehend.
How can we experience rest in these trials? Jesus recognizes our weariness and heavy laden burdens. He doesn’t shoo them away or just tell us to “have more faith“. He invites us to be yoked to him and to learn from him and to be reminded of his gentle and humble heart. Being yoked to him means to be connected to him on a daily basis and to give our burdens to him when we meditate on his love for us and his sovereignty in our lives. And then we can indeed count the blessing of rest in our lives. We think of the many people that he healed throughout his public ministry. And then to be yoked to him and be an answer of prayer to those who are weary is such a blessing. And if we doubt his credibility to provide rest, we need to look no further than the cross where he provided the ultimate rest when he conquered sin and death out of his love for us.
As we enter in to this adventure of Faith In Practice, I would challenge all of us to meditate on this passage on a regular basis and lift up in prayer those that we serve here and in Guatemala and remember those that are so weary.
