Matthew 11:28-30 (NIVUK)
28 ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’
Here’s a well known promise of God’s, Jesus’ promise of rest for the weary that come to him. There’s a paradox in the middle of this, though, isn’t there. Jesus says come and work for me (it was a ox pulling a plough that wore a yoke) and you’ll find rest. How can you find rest by being put to work?! Think about putting together flat pack furniture. If you’re trying to put together a wardrobe on your own, without a screwdriver and so you’re using a kitchen knife instead, it is always going to be a struggle and unsatisfactory. If you have others to help you and all the right tools, it’s going to be a whole lot more straightforward! Could it not be the same with the work Jesus is talking about. If we try to do life on our own it’s going to be hard. If we do life with the wrong tools, it’s going to be hard. If we live life with Jesus, doing things his way, and letting the Spirit guide us and help us, then it becomes more like the work we were made to do, and more satisfactory as a result.
Help us Jesus, to find our rest and satisfaction in you and the life you lead us to.
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