“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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.”
Matthew 11:28-29
Are you weary? Are you burdened? Do you need rest?
Jesus’ answer to these questions is to learn from Him because He is gentle and humble in heart. How do you learn from Jesus? Often, I have heard taught that a rabbi’s yoke is his specific teaching. While that may or may not be accurate, I think we can read this verse as Jesus inviting us to experience something different from Him than what we are experiencing in the world, again pointing to the upside down kingdom.
How do you learn from Jesus? I think The Message translation of these verses provides a glimpse:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
What do we see Jesus doing in the gospel accounts?
Meeting people where they are.
Loving people who are different from Him.
Giving chances for people to learn from Him.
I think of the story of the Good Samaritan when Jesus asked who is our neighbor? According to this parable, our neighbor is someone we do not know, someone we do not like, someone we think is very different than us.
Often in the gospels, Jesus gives the greatest challenge to those people in the religious establishment of His time. He definitely does that in the Good Samaritan story. He shows the closed mindedness and lack of love of the religious leaders in the story, but He also shows the power of love of the one that is considered an outsider.
I think Jesus is wanting us to let go of the religious thoughts that keep us stuck thinking we are right, and that others are wrong. Trying to prove ourselves right, protecting ourselves, and judging the other harshly can be a burden that wears us down and makes us weary. Maybe that is the lesson of these verses.
Learn is one of those great action words that does involve both insight and action.
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
Ben Franklin
These verses are Jesus’ invitation to involvement in His teaching. It is in this involvement we will learn. How is the Holy Spirit beckoning you to involvement and learning in your world?
KATHY PIERBURG 