Rest for the Restless
February 18, 2024MORE IN ‘24
“Rest for the Restless”
Matthew 11:28-30
Invitations…they come in all shapes and sizes, and they come for all sorts of reasons. Weddings, graduation from college, high school, and yes, even kindergarten. Events such as gala dinners, award ceremonies, or fundraising banquets often require invitations. Invitations are often extended for birthday parties, and baby and bridal showers. Sometimes you receive an invitation to the grand opening of a restaurant or the ribbon-cutting event for a business.
I read online that getting an invitation means that the host actually hopes you’ll attend, and presumably will take the necessary steps to make sure that your needs are attended to. That is so not true! Sometimes you get an invitation because somebody wants a gift! They couldn’t care less if you showed up; they just want you to send a gift! 😊
The Master’s golf tournament is around the corner. It is my favorite golf tournament by far. To receive an invitation to play in The Master’s is considered by many as “golf’s greatest invitation.” Even players who have played in the tournament on numerous occasions still get that buzz of excitement when the envelope arrives.
And Masters invites are even more precious this year as the smallest number of them has been sent out since 1985. Out of 7+ billion people walking the planet, and with over 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals, only 80 or fewer will get invitations to play in this year’s Masters.
I could all but guarantee you that no one in this room and no one listening online will ever receive an invitation to play in The Masters. But I’ve got an infinitely better invitation that is available for everyone in this room and everyone who will ever hear my voice online, and it’s an invitation from the Lord Jesus Himself.
Now, before we look at that invitation, let me remind us that invitations can be misread and/or neglected. Sometimes an invitation comes with an RSVP by a certain date. If you do not respond saying “Yes” we are coming by a certain date, the person or persons who sent the invitation will assume you are not coming. If you are not able to come but forget to RSVP by a certain date, the folks who sent the invite may think you’re not interested or don’t care about their cause or their big day.
With the invitation from Jesus that we’re about to read in our Bibles, I am urging you to respond affirmatively. This invitation will change your eternal destiny, and it will have a super-positive impact on your earthly life as well. We read about this invitation in only one of the four gospels, and that would be Matthew’s.
Matthew 11:28–30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] 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. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (ESV)
The (28a)
“Come to ME…”
This is an invitation to trust Jesus personally, not merely to believe historical facts about him. If you do not currently know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, the invitation still stands: “Come to ME,” Christ says. “Come to ME, not some religion. Come to ME, not the church, not some priest, not some preacher. Come to ME.”
The (28b)
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden…”
The word translated “labor” means to work to the point of utter exhaustion. To be completely depleted of strength. To ‘work your fingers to the bone’ as we sometimes say. But the “laboring” here is not the fatigue from working in a factory or working in a field all day. It’s not “labor” from running a business or managing people all day. It’s the ‘labor’ of trying to gain God’s favor, of trying to measure up and be good enough in God’s eyes. Guess what? That’s not even possible. And yet all religions operate under the impression that you can “labor,” you can work your way into heaven, into eternal life.
All those who are “heavy laden” refers in the immediate context to those oppressed by the burden of religious legalism imposed on people by the scribes and Pharisees. They taught that a person must keep the law—AND all their interpretations of how it was to be obeyed—and it was nothing but overwhelming, yea, impossible to do. Just listen to Jesus’ indictment of these so Christian leaders…
Matthew 23:4 They [the scribes and Pharisees] tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. (ESV)
The scribes and Pharisees came up with 1000 different ways to apply the commandments of God’s law. Those massive obligations became so burdensome and oppressive.
God never gave the law as a means of obtaining salvation. Instead, it was an undeniable way of showing how sinful we are, how incapable of perfect righteousness we are, and how desperately we need a Savior. And thus, Jesus’s invitation to come to HIM! He is that Savior!
The (28c)
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
The “rest” that Christ offers cannot be bought or earned. It is a gift. It’s the most costly gift you could ever receive because Christ paid for it with His atoning death on the cross.
This rest here is first and foremost rest from the pursuit of trying to earn your salvation. It’s rest from trying to be good enough. From trying to do enough to gain God’s favor. Try all you want, try with all your might, that’s never going to happen. The effort, all the “labor,” will wear you out, and yet the burden remains. And the burden is unbearable. No matter how hard you might try, you will remain “heavy laden.”
BUT! But…if you come to Jesus in saving faith and repentance over your sin, He will save your soul, cleanse you of your sins, and thereby give you spiritual rest. And He is the only one who can give you this rest for your soul.
When it comes to physiological hunger, it can be satisfied by any number of foods, right? Isn’t it interesting that sometimes a hotdog and fries can be just as satisfying as a rib-eye and baked potato? Well, when it comes to spiritual hunger, your soul’s desire can only be satisfied by Jesus.
The “hole” in your soul can only be filled and satisfied by the Lover of your soul, and His name is Jesus! God created our souls to be restless until they find their rest in HIM, as St. Augustine once famously said.
Are you searching for what will satisfy your spiritual hunger? For what will quench the spiritual thirst of your soul? Only Jesus can satisfy those longings. In John 6:3, He said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
So many people try to mask their weariness and weakness with drugs and alcohol, illicit sexual encounters, exotic and expensive trips, or spending sprees. Others seek to mask theirs with social media, fooling themselves with “likes” and “follows” that can be so infatuating and unfulfilling. Still others mask their weariness and weakness by withdrawing from everyone around them. Thinking that’s a good idea, Satan relishes the opportunity to capitalize on your isolation and drag you further into a pit of despair. I urge you…accept Jesus’s invitation: “Come to ME,” He says, “and I will give you rest.” What an impact He makes on the one who comes to Him! Now…in addition to the invitation to come to Him, Jesus issues some instructions…
The (29a)
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me…”
Now, before we try to understand the instructions, let me go ahead and mention the impact (part 2): If you ‘follow the instructions,’ if you take His yoke upon you and learn from Him, “you will find rest for your souls.”
I’ll say more about this rest later, but for now, let me simply say that this “rest” is that ongoing rest that your soul desperately needs even after salvation. Coming to Jesus in faith and repentance provides initial, salvific rest for your soul. Oh, but Satan does everything he can to disrupt that rest, to burden us with whatever he can to weigh us down again and again and again. He wants us to be weary and worn. He wants us to be distracted and detached. But Jesus wants us to have continual peace of mind and rest our souls.
Let’s pause for a few minutes and think about the various REASONS YOU MAY NEED THIS “SECOND REST” TODAY…reasons you may be “weary and worn” from living in this sin-cursed world…
For some of you, the reasons are SPIRITUAL: You know Jesus as your Savior, but you’ve sinned. You’ve missed the mark, and I mean miserably. You’ve failed your Lord. You’ve disappointed your spouse, your kids, your family. You’ve wasted time. You’ve wasted resources. You’ve wasted your giftedness. You’re overloaded with guilt and shame. You’re defeated and your spirit is deflated. I urge you to follow His instructions this morning and “find rest for your soul.”
For some of you, the reasons you need “rest” are PHYSICAL: Your health is broken. Your body is wreaked with pain and/or uncertainty about your future. You haven’t taken care of yourself for quite some time, and now you’re paying the price. You’re burnt out. You’ve been burning the candle at both ends and you’ve even put fire to the middle as well. I want you especially to “learn from Jesus” and make some changes that will benefit both your body and your soul.
For some of you, the reasons you need “rest” are RELATIONAL: Maybe you’re reeling from major disappointment caused by a relationship that turned sour or was terminated. Maybe you’re in the wake of turbulent waters caused by separation or divorce. Maybe someone you love deeply disappointed you or even betrayed you. Come to Jesus…keep coming to Jesus and find rest for your soul.
For some of you, the reasons you need “rest” are POLITICAL: Maybe you are weighed down by all the news, the condition of our country, and the misery that awaits us with the upcoming presidential election. If we could peer into your heart and soul, we’d see unrest because of all the violence in our country, all the shootings at churches, schools, and even a Super Bowl parade. Some of you keep an eye on the border crisis and it gives you emotional heartburn. It grieves you deeply. Maybe your heart is ripped to shreds over the war in Israel. Come to Jesus…keep coming to Jesus and find rest for your soul.
For some of you, the reasons you need “rest” are FINANCIAL: Maybe you’re stressed about how much debt you’re under, how deep the financial hole is that you dug for yourself, or the hole someone else dug and threw you into it. Maybe you’re stressed about how you and/or your teenager are going to pay for college. Come to Jesus…keep coming to Jesus and find rest for your soul.
For some of you, the reasons are EMOTIONAL: For any of the aforementioned reasons and/or reasons I’ve not mentioned, you are mentally spent. Discouragement doesn’t come close to describing how you’ve been feeling for the past several weeks, months, or even longer. Maybe you are depressed, and it took every bit of strength you could muster to simply get out of bed and be here this morning. Maybe you are so depressed that you didn’t have the strength to dress and get here, and you’re watching from home, still in your pajamas. Come to Jesus…keep coming to Jesus and find rest for your soul.
We sometimes say that “time heals all wounds.” No, it doesn’t. But Jesus can. He’s the only one who can give you rest, the only one who can heal your soul and give you peace.
Folks, Jesus is not asking you to deserve His rest, and He’s not asking you to earn it. You couldn’t do either when you first entered His rest at salvation, and you can’t do either at any point after your salvation. This rest rests on Jesus. He’s the one making promises. He’s just asking you to trust Him, to come to Him over and over, and in doing so, you will find rest for your soul.
Therefore, when your life falls apart, this is a verse you can come to. When you can’t find rest anywhere else, here is Jesus your Savior saying, “Come to Me.” When all else fails, He never will. Why go anywhere else? Come to Jesus…keep coming to Jesus and find rest for your soul.
So…to all of you who know Christ Jesus as your Savior, I urge you to follow these instructions and “find rest for your soul.”
First instruction: “Take my yoke upon you…” — This speaks of and for service
Now, given what we just saw, this verse is a bit surprising, isn’t it? Jesus offers rest and then immediately says, “Take my yoke upon you.” He didn’t say, “Take a seat.” “Take a nap” or “Take a vacation.” He said, “Take my yoke.”
He also didn’t say, “Come to Me and I’ll make you famous. Or I’ll make you more productive. Or I’ll make you more efficient.” He didn’t say, “Come to Me and I’ll make you successful. Come to Me and I’ll make you financially stable. Or I’ll make you popular. Or I’ll give you better grades.” No, He said, “Come to me…and take my yoke upon you.”
So, what’s a yoke? A yoke is an agricultural term. Farmers placed a yoke on two animals—two oxen, for example—to use their strength to plow fields, mill grain, or pull a heavy cart. The yoke allowed the animal’s master to keep them under control and to guide them in useful work. For obvious reasons, the term was widely used in the ancient world as a metaphor for submission.
So, wait a minute… How does this make sense? How is a yoke the natural outflow of the rest that Jesus gives?
Well, notice how He calls it His yoke. Not just any yoke. Not the yoke of following the rules. Not the yoke of religion. His yoke. “Take MY yoke upon you.” The yoke of Jesus is vastly different from every other yoke. In verse 30 we see his yoke is easy. It’s not heavy. It’s light.
Now, let’s make sure we all understand something critically important… There is no such thing as a yoke-less life. It’s just a matter of what we’re yoked to. Coming to Jesus is not a yoke-less life. One look at the Sermon on the Mount or Jesus’s parables or the Great Commission should rid us of that thought. When we come to Jesus, we come to Jesus as we are—weary and worn—but He changes us and makes us more and more like Him. The yoke we receive from him is not like the yoke of the Pharisees who demanded strict obedience to man-made laws. It’s not the yoke of the world that demands constant change and evolution of views or else. No, Jesus’s yoke is easy; it’s light.
As one writer says, “The cure for a heavy burden is not to have no burden, but a light burden, the right burden. Jesus knows the right burden. He offers rest not by inviting us to do nothing, but by leading us to yoke up with HIM.”
And you know what Jesus is saying when He instructs us to “take His yoke upon us”? He saying, “You put your head on one side of the yoke, and I’ll be on the other, and when you get weary and worn, I won’t let go! When you get tired, I’ll lift you up! When you fall, I’ll pick you up. When you feel burned out, I will still be there. I will not forsake you. When you feel like your sin is unforgivable, I’ll make my grace abound even more! When you feel like giving up, I’ll give you more grace. When you feel isolated and alone, just know that I haven’t left you! Even though you walk through the deepest darkness, the valley of the shadow of death, don’t worry, I’ll be right there with you. When you feel burdened, cast them all on Me. I’ll carry you and your load!”
Jesus did not say, “Come to me, and I’ll give you an easy life.” But He did promise us an “easy yoke.”
Second instruction: “Learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart” — This speaks of and an to follow
The One we are to learn from can be fully trusted. The example He sets is so refreshing and, at the same time, rather shocking: “I am gentle and lowly in heart.”
The word gentle means pleasant, mild, soothing, friendly. It’s the opposite of rough, hard, and violent. Folks, Jesus is never out to get you. His most foundational disposition is not to destroy you, but you save you; not to strike you, but to comfort you; not to exact judgment, but to be gentle. When you go the wrong way, He gently redirects you. He doesn’t shame you. He doesn’t embarrass you. He gently leads you back to Himself, back to the right path, to learn afresh from Him, to see Him again for who he is, and to be reminded over and over of how much He loves us.
When we take His yoke, make no mistake, He carries the load, but He deploys us in mission. He commissions us to work in His vineyard, but He enables us to do the work by His Spirit’s power. He sends out into His fields ripe for harvest to do His work in the world. He’s patient. He’s tender. He’s gentle. When we stumble, He restores us. When we can’t go on, He carries us.
Jesus is gentle. He knows our frame, our weaknesses. He knows because he’s been here, done that. Jesus isn’t just talking the talk. He walked the walk. He entered in. He came to us, and when you come to Him, you’ll find rest for your soul.
NOTICE: This is the second time Jesus mentions 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.”
The first rest was an immediate rest from coming to him. This rest is rest after the rest. The first rest is given; the second is discovered. Yes, it’s given also, but it’s discovered along the way. The first is instant relief. The second is a lifelong journey. It’s the rest of a learner who follows Christ’s example. The rest of the one who after receiving now serves alongside his master.
Jesus also said to “learn of me.” What can we learn from Jesus to help us enjoy ongoing rest for our souls? Keep in mind that Jesus was busy! I mean, He was constantly bombarded with needy people. He was busy healing the sick, teaching the Word, and confronting error. BUT…and this is so important…Jesus into His life to spend time with the Father. He was busy, yes, but He always built margin into His life to get away from the hustle and bustle of life, to escape to a mountain, to venture down by the sea, to spend time with His heavenly Father. If He needed to do that, how much more do we? If we could learn to do that sort of thing—that building margin into our lives for intimacy with the Lord—consistent, daily, time with our God, it would make a huge difference in our lives.
If you’ve ever prepared a document in Microsoft Word, then you know something about increasing or decreasing your margins. Most papers that student turn in for their school assignments require a one-inch margin at the top and bottom and on both sides. But if you click on the “Layout” tab, and then click the “margins” tab, you can easily make your margins wider, or narrower, or you can create custom tabs. Creating margin in your life is not nearly that easy, but you will suffer if you don’t.
Preachers, pastors, and missionaries sometimes struggle to build margin in their lives, to spend time in intimate fellowship with the Lord. It’s so easy for me to read my Bible for a sermon when I also need to read it to nourish my soul. It’s so easy to rush right in with my To-do list before I spend time talking to the Lord in prayer. I urge you, I urge all of us, to learn from Jesus and build margin into your life to spend time with the Lord.
It’s so easy to “check a box” saying we’ve read a portion of Scripture, but to really spend time with the Lord worshipping Him, adoring Him, pouring out our thanksgiving to Him, oh, how much more “rested” our souls would be.
Jesus worked hard, but He ‘rested’ well. He rested His body, He prayed, fasted, and gathered with believers for worship.
It is your responsibility to take care of your body. That’s a part of your stewardship of the solitary life and the solitary body God has given you. God has nowhere promised to miraculously reverse your foolishness in not taking care of yourself. But He has promised to give your soul rest as you keep coming to Him and as you stay under His yoke. And in promising to give ongoing rest for your soul, He is promising to do what only He can do. Only Jesus can do that.
You may be physically worn out this morning, and you might prefer physical rest for your body. I’m not saying you don’t need that. I’m not saying you shouldn’t go home this afternoon and take a 2-hour nap. After all, even Jesus napped! But what I am saying is that more importantly, your soul needs rest.
Deep inside your soul, there is a need no amount of physical rest can alleviate. There are memories in your past that you don’t want to think about, but from time to time they rise to the surface, reminding you of how sinful you’ve been and how sinful you can still be. There are things you said, or things you didn’t say but should have. You have some regrets that just will not fade away. There are wounds that time hasn’t healed, right?
Those who persevere in the faith will one day enjoy eternal rest. That eternal rest will be experienced in the new heaven and the new earth. Once we enter our eternal rest, we’ll never again need forgiveness of sin or a renewal of our minds. We’ll never again have regrets and desires to make up for our mistakes. But in the here and now, we do need rest. We do need a quiet spirit. A comforted heart. A rested soul. And we discover that over and over and over as we stay yoked to Jesus. And being yoked to Jesus is not burdensome. It’s “easy.” It’s kind. It’s being shepherded by Him as we faithfully follow Him.
That’s why Jesus says his yoke is easy and his burden is light. He’s not saying life won’t be hard. There is still a cross to be carried. There will be trials. Jesus promised us that. We have battles to fight, hardships to bear, and sufferings to endure. Jesus is not discounting that. What He is saying is that the comforts of the gospel outweigh them all.
Come to JESUS, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and HE will give you rest. Take HIS yoke upon you, and learn from HIM, for HE is gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For HIS yoke is easy, and HIS burden is light.