$h!t Jesus Says, Part 5: Rest

Jesus does not say, “hide your problems.” He says, “bring them to me and I will give you rest.” This is not a soft pillow to rest our heads on. Jesus is offering us God's own heart - a welcoming sanctuary to let it all go.  

Last week, the Macdonald’s rolled back time as we went into lock-down with COVID.

​It seems so surreal that it was just four years ago, the entire world was forced to stop and catch its breath.

​This time around we only hunkered down for a week, but it was enough to remind me if that vicious virus brought us anything good, it was a lesson on finding rest in the midst of chaos.
 
Now here we are, four years later, and the chaos is back. With many of the same culprits and characters. And all of us seeking some rest and relief from them.

But how many of us will actually take the time out of our busyness to get away and rest?

My dad always jokes, “At my age, happy hour is a nap.” That’s some good advice. Rest is key to good health. It can reduce stress, inflammation, and heart disease. And can restore mental energy and creativity. In fact, as a recent study has proven, people who nap tend to live longer than those who don’t.
 
Out of the nearly 700 laws found in Torah, taking a day of rest made the top ten. At least once a week, God expects us to stop doing stuff so we can enjoy the fruits of our labor. Have we forgotten the lessons we learned four years ago when the world shut down? If it weren’t for holiday weekends like this one, would we ever stop to catch our breath?
 
Are you feeling burnt out on life? Are you worn out from the endless cycle of bad news streaming around the clock? Fatigued from the political divisiveness in our country and around the world? Are you tired of struggling to keep your head above water just to exist? If so, then listen carefully to what Jesus has say.

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”   Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus knows how exhausting it is to be human. He knows what hard labor feels like to tired muscles. And what doubt and anguish can do to a person’s well-being. Jesus knows what we’re dealing with. He’s been there, done that.

In this passage, Jesus notices and addresses the weariness of those around him. He names their spiritual state without any adding any judgment or shame.
 
He says to them, "Come to me. Bring me your burdens.”
 
As we’ve been learning, Jesus says some good shit. Sometimes it can sound too good to be true. The demands of work, family, and even our own expectations, can overwhelm any one of us. We hardly have time to rest muchless deal with these things that are weighing us down.

Jesus says, “Come, give them to me.” It’s like he’s saying, “Life is hard enough without having to carry around extra burdens.”
 
Think about all the crap you carry with you. It could be your job, your love life, your social capitol. Maybe it’s just the stress of everyday life; keeping the house in order – or the family from falling apart.
 
Perhaps you’re carrying shame and guilt over something you did. Or something you did not do when you should have. Maybe the burden is something that happened which you have buried deep down inside.
 
Joshua Bowron writes, “Each of us is dealing with something, or a whole litany of somethings, that if we all had to wear them outwardly, I daresay we’d have a much more compassionate world.”

​So why do we hide our burdens, pretending they don’t exist? When someone asks how are you doing, do you tell them the truth?
 
Which is why Jesus’ words still speak to us today. Jesus does not say, “hide your problems.” He says, “bring them to me and I will give you rest.”

Jesus is not offering a soft pillow to lay our heads down on, he’s offering us God’s own heart - a welcoming sanctuary to let it all go, without judgement or shame.
 
While the world might offer us a long weekend here and there, Jesus is offering us true rest for our weary souls; a profound sense of eternal peace that comes from knowing we are with God… being loved and cared for.
 
In John’s gospel Jesus says, “I have come as a light in the world so that anyone who believes in me no longer remains in the darkness” (John 12:46). In his light, our deepest pain, our darkest secrets, our heaviest burdens are not only exposed for what they are…but are also redeemed back into God’s glory.
 
As I’ve said before, Jesus is always inviting us to experience a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God and one another one that changes us from the inside out.

If you ask me, real spiritual transformation begins by setting our eyes upon the one who says, “Take my yoke. Learn from me.”
 
In ancient Judaism, a yoke is not the yellow blob inside an egg. Nor is it that heavy, wooden contraption that hangs over the necks of oxen. It was a rabbi’s way of interpreting Torah for his students to make it applicable to life. Different rabbis had different yokes; each with a different set of rules of what you can and cannot do.
 
Jesus knows how strict adherence to a rabbi’s yoke can be overwhelming. The pressure it puts on a person can be burdensome…and lead to spiritual and mental exhaustion. Jesus offers a radical alternative. One that is counter-cultural to his contemporaries.
 
He describes his yoke as, “easy” and the burden is “light.”  But it’s not so much the ease of his teachings that gets people’s attention. It seems wherever Jesus speaks, “the people listening are astounded, for he taught them as one having authority, unlike the scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29).

​Despite what many of the scribes and Pharisees are saying about him, Jesus is not out to undermine or shame them or make them look bad. His goal is to “uphold the laws and prophets” to a standard that goes above conventional wisdom. And beyond a call for strict obedience.
 
Anyone can memorize anything to pass a class. But Jesus always emphasizes the reason why the law was given in the first place. He often reminds his accusers that, “The Sabbath law was made for humankind" and not the other way around (Mark 2:27).
 
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “You have heard it said don’t murder, but I’m telling you don’t even get angry with someone” (Matthew 5:21).

He knows obedience to the law does not stop you from getting pissed-off at someone. But your love for God and neighbor can. Jesus teaches us to “love your enemy” (Matthew 5:43-44) in the same way God loves you.

Jesuus knows love is the only thing that can stop hate…or turn an enemy into a friend.
 
While other rabbis were teaching an “eye-for-an-eye” retaliatory justice, Jesus says, “Don’t give into evil, but instead turn the other cheek" (Matthew 5:38-39).

He has seen what retaliation can do to a person or community. Example after example, we see how his yoke breaks the vicious cycles of violence, retaliation, anger, lust and so on.
 
He tells his followers, “There’s no time for this tit-for-tat stuff. Just go and live graciously and generously.” Studying God’s laws isn’t going to cut it. We have to embody the Spirit of each one with every fiber of our being. Jesus says, “If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light” (Luke 11:34-36).
 
Here’s the thing to remember, the yoke of Jesus is grounded on love and grace, and not strict obedience to a bunch of religious rituals and laws. His way is relational – where acts of kindness, forgiveness, mercy, and justice shape all our actions and interactions.

Like Jesus will remind his students, “A disciple is not above the teacher it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher…” (Matthew 10:24-25a).
 
If you are going to take Christ’s name than you have to embrace his way of living out God’s love with others so serving both is no longer a burden.

Because at the end of the day, Jesus doesn’t want people to just be woke. He needs people who will continue the work he began – to awaken the world to the injustice and inequality that is suffocating and harming others; including laws that keep certain people from thriving in God’s glory.
 
To accept Jesus’ invitation, is to extend God’s radical and redemptive love to everyone, without conditions, judgment, or adding more burdens.

His yoke is a compassionate heart that frees you to love that person who annoys you. Or to welcome back that estranged friend you blocked on Facebook. By embracing Jesus’ yoke, we begin to see everyone like he does.

It’s in this space the words of Jesus ring true, “You will find rest for your souls.” Contrary to how it sounds, this rest isn’t about doing less. It’s about being more. Being more present to God's love. Being more attuned to the rhythms of God’s grace. And being more rooted in life as God’s beloved child.
 
Just as a good teacher can inspire you to live up to your potential, our Lord tells us, we will go on to do greater things than him (John 14:12). His is an invitation to not only live into our potential but to thrive throughout eternity.
 
On this day of sabbath rest, I encourage you to free yourself from everything that’s weighing you down – any shame, guilt, or past mistakes you have made.

And accept the invitation of our gentle and humble Lord who calls out to us to embrace a life of love and service.

His yoke is easy. His burden is light. And in him we find rest for our weary, worn-out souls.
 



 
Work Cited:
Adapted from Come…Find Rest. July 5, 2020. jesusnotjesus.org
Bartlett, David L. and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds. Feasting on the Word Year A, Vol. 3. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2011
Bowron, Joshua.  Taking on Jesus' Yoke. 07 09, 2017. episcopalchurch.org (accessed on 07 03 2024)
Pagano, Joseph S. Come To Me. 06 29, 2020. episcopalchurch.org (accessed 07 03, 2020).