Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Invitation of JESUS, the Son – from Gospel of Matthew 11:28 RSV
Labor Day
From September 2, 2013 [abridged]
We’ve likely heard the expression, ‘NO rest for the wicked and the good don’t need any.’
NOT true and NOT Biblical. We ALL need rest and we all must labor or work.
Americans once realized the importance of honoring God through our labor and laborers as God’s own workers.
But In a 21st century Common Era America ,we no longer remember the call of Jesus to come to Him for rest.
2 Worldly Approaches to Labor:
- Work hard for your SELF. (More work, more reward: right?) God doesn’t really need that “offering AND tithe” to honor Him — after all, the Government takes US plenty so that our Country will take care of us.
- OR I don’t need to labor because Uncle Sam takes care of me and will always help US.
* God never intended for ANY to have a rest from the work they will NOT do. (We won't go there today since that's recalls a different scripture.)
Matthew 11: Are You the One?
Crowds had flocked to hear Jesus preach on the hillsides of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The Lord had traveled from city to city on His northern tour. Everywhere Jesus traveled, He was expected.
After Jesus had instructed his twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
Imagine the excitement of JESUS, the promised Messiah of God, coming to your city!
JESUS was predicted by the Prophets. And He was now proclaimed as the Christ by the greatest prophet and their contemporary, John the Baptist.
REPENT! And be baptized (changed permanently).
Be cleansed of your sins before you will stand before the HOLY ONE.
John was a ‘hell-fire and damnation’ kind of preacher: popular with the people, but wno had been rejected and imprisoned by the religious establishment. And now the Lord JESUS is also calling the people of these cities to hear Him and obey.
Then he proceeded to denounce the towns where most of his miracles were done, because they did not repent:
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! .. “And you, Capernaum.. you will go down to Hades.
Excerpt from the Gospels of Matthew 11 CSB & Luke 10
Jesus? .. Preaching ‘hell-fire and damnation’ like John?
Read what He said comparing the disobedient to the people of of His own hometown to Sodom.
Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest
28 “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.
What is Jesus saying about our labor?
The Lord is illustrating a picture of manual labor. He doesn’t say to just give it all to Him and He will take care of it.
- Take my yoke upon you – a picture of the collar of two doing the work of one – YOU with JESUS.
- learn from me – a direct reference to learning from the example of His life.
- I am gentle and lowly in heart – Since Jesus is kind and humble, have you learned to rest in His Perfect human example?
and IF you will do this: according to our Lord,
- you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Jesus didn’t say ‘Take a break and I will do it all for you.”
As a matter of fact, Christ Jesus actually called out those who refused to repent. And Jesus rebuked any who would not listen to Him while they sought to hide their wickedness.
Our Lord knows how weary we become in this world.
Do we remember:
From the beginning disobedience was punished in Eden.
Unpleasant work became part of our sinful heritage for having knowledge of good and evil.
Jesus offers to share in our work in this world.
Will you work with Him on that?
Though we are wicked sinners
Because of the Cross of Jesus
Weary laborers like us have hope.
Come unto Him this day
You who labor
To have eternal rest.
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