Come unto me
Matthew 11:20-28
Introduction-
This morning if you would turn to Matthew 11:20-28.
We will dig into the passage that most have heard of.
We read come to Jesus to find rest… Most have no clue what that means or what to do with it.
We see what appears to harsh words from Jesus to those that would not repent and those who would not respond to Jesus invitation to come to him with simple child-like faith.
My prayer as we begin is that we would simply come to Jesus as faithful and simply as a child and allow Him to do whatever is needed to take that heavy yoke and replace it with the one that He says is light.
Prayer-
Setting up the text-
Chorazin was a city about an hour from some of the big cities and we see Jesus who appears to be coming through the town rebuking them for not repenting and responding to his teachings.
We know something amazing must have happened but we are not told what it is.
Text- Matthew 11:20-28 but for now let’s look at verse 20-24. Read from the Bible
Words like “Woe to you” should be a pretty good warning that Jesus is concerned they were not listening.
He said that the miracles He performed there, if they been in Sodom and Tyre, would have been better received. He said that on the Day of Judgment that Sodom would be more bearable.
It is so important to go to the text and find out as much as you can about the setting and meaning.
First read, I see a ticked off Jesus. After looking into the text, we find a savior that is not angry but sorrowful and with much pity.
This is not an angered Jesus who gave up on them but a sorrowful Jesus who wanted them to respond to Him.
Jesus must have done great things and returns later to see people doing and found them doing the same old things and not changing or responding to His call.
John 21:25-
“Jesus did many other things as well. If everyone of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”
This must have been one of the other things- we don’t have all the details of what He did but we know they did not respond properly.
So what did these people do so wrong?
They were indifferent of Jesus- they did not attack Jesus, they did not force him away. They just simply disregarded him.
They forgot they had a responsibility. They heard Jesus bring the truth of the gospel and they choose not to respond. We cannot condemn those who do not know better, but Jesus brought truth and they willingly blow Him off. He was holding them responsible.
The more you know, the more you have been given the truth, the more responsibility we will have in Jesus eyes. I did not know is not an excuse when Jesus gives opportunity to know and you choose to ignore His teachings.
Illustration-
A man was watching the news one night when it was reported that a car was going the wrong direction on the freeway. The man knew his wife was on that freeway and became concerned and called his wife. She answered he said, dear, there is a car going the wrong direction on the freeway, she exclaimed, one car! There are hundreds!”
Matthew 11:25-27 Read from Bible
Jesus reveals his authority to be able to tell us these things.
We as believers must accept His truth as children.
Is Jesus condemning intellectual power? Of course not, he is condemning and dealing with intellectual pride that was in there hearts.
Who did He come after?
He came after the Pharisees for making more laws, for making everything harder than needed.
People may be a smart as Solomon, but if they have not the simplicity, the trust, the innocence of a childlike heart, they shut themselves out of what God wants them to have.
Matthew 11:28- Read from Bible
The act of Jesus compassion lived out and promised to those who would listen. This is where we will park for a few minutes and let Jesus speak to us.
The Greeks believed that it was hard to find God-
Most people spend their life running from God or believe that one day they will be good enough to approach God and try to find that relationship.
Here we see Jesus who has done great things, performed miracles, has proven His authority to offer an invitation to come to Him and He will give us rest.
There are a lot of people who believe in God.
They know who and what He is about.
They have information overload of Jesus.
They know of Him but they do not know Him.
Jesus gives an invitation to come (request) and those that respond to His invitation, He says He will give them rest. His invitation is to all that would come.
Most people today have no problem with the thought of Jesus.
They can talk about Him, they can send stuff through social media that says I love Jesus, they are not afraid to send cute statements.
They have a problem surrendering their lives to Jesus
Telling others about Jesus
Admitting they are not perfect
Taking responsibility for their actions
Admit that they are broken people that need Jesus.
Independence that does not allow the Lord in is foolishness.
So let’s for a few moments look at this verse of coming to Jesus and see what we can do with it.
(28) “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. For my yoke is easy and my burden light,”
The invitation is for all- it does not tell us to clean up our act first.
Take my yoke have it replace your heavy burdened yoke.
NOTICE- it did not say you would not go with any yoke upon you.
2 questions need answering
What do we do with our burdens?
How do we experience God’s Grace so we can have the rest that He promises?
What to do with your burdens?
First, we have to take a look at ourselves and see if we have caused these burdens ourselves, or was it something that we could not avoid.
Those that could have been avoided are the ones that we must learn lessons from and not make the same mistakes again.
Actions have consequences. The Lord can forgive but does not say we will not have to deal with the consequences of your actions.
If they are ones that cannot be avoided, these are the ones that we are to share.
We share them by letting other brother and sisters gather around us and help us in ways to get on the other side of the burden wither by seeking their wisdom or accepting their help to be able to move forward.
Let me put it another way-
Shouldered burdens are the ones where physical limitations are involved. Those where we know God could heal us but if He chooses not to, that we would have to shoulder with God’s help- Paul’s thorn in the side.
Shared burdens are ones where you are able to help someone in their burden. We offer ourselves to others with wisdom, physically, financially, emotionally. You become involved in the process of lightening their load by something that you can do for them or to be with them. You make yourself available.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles, so that we can comfort those in trouble with the comfort we ourselves received from God.”
Shed burdens are the ones that the Lord wants us to turn over to Him, these are the ones that we carry from worry, guilt, blaming ourselves for things that were impossible to see coming.
Psalms 55:22-
“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”
Weather we are asking God to lighten our burdens or the Lord is using you to help someone else lightened their burden, it is where the Lord becomes involved and takes our yoke (burden) and replaces it with his yoke that is easier and lighter.
The yoke the Lord replaces it with is the yoke of obedience so that we can experience the grace of God in its fullest. He does not let us run wild because it would be and is a disaster when we are left on our own.
Where do we want to receive God’s Grace? All the areas we mentioned
Illness, stress, divorce, jobs, debt, deaths, kids, family, and most important… God’s grace and mercy for our salvation… to redeem us from ourselves when we are weary and tired and cannot go on! That He would take the heavy burden and give us Rest!
One commentator put it this way for Matthew 11:28
“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.
Anyone tired? Weary? Come experience the grace of God
Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Jesus was speaking to people who desperately were trying to find God, desperately try to be good, who were finding the task near impossible and exhausting.
Remember a moment ago, Jesus doesn’t take our yoke without wanting to place his yoke. His yoke is lighter, less burdensome. But it is a yoke. Jesus invites us to take his yoke upon our shoulders. Jesus yoke is entering into his submission. Getting rid of the yoke of the law, and taking a yoke that is better fitted for us.
Carrying a burden is not the easiest thing, but when a burden is placed in love, carried in love… it makes even the heaviest burden light and bearable.
We are all going through things! Burdens, trials, life experiences, we all need Jesus to lighten the load.
I did George Gauker’s funeral Thursday morning and find out one of the friends in ministry with our church was killed in a car accident. Crushing things that take our breath happens and the load gets heavier and heavier- We need Jesus!
Could we have a word of prayer around this altar this morning? Don’t wait, just come, we have all got something deserving of our prayers , so let’s just come and receive God’s rest.
Anything that comes our way, anything that tempts us, any tragedy that befalls us, we are capable, in God’s power, of overcoming. In all things we can achieve spiritual victory, through Christ. Life is not easy. The fact is we often need a “way of escape.” Life is hard, but we can face it with confidence in God’s gracious promises.
I once asked a wise friend, “What can we do when we face trouble after trouble and we’re feeling overwhelmed?” She said “Breathe!” (EXHALE) We all need to exhale the anxieties, worries, and stress of our life, and wait for Jesus’ promise to work its way, to inhale its way, into our insides. It’s a kind of photosynthesis for the soul. We can exhale the carbons, the toxins; inhale the spiritual oxygen. Jesus understood this need. He knew the
Come to me, Jesus says—to my way, my practice. I will give you rest. This rest is better than sleep; it’s rest for the soul. He’s echoing Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd. ….God leads me beside still waters. God restores my soul.” Restores my deepest self! When we get to the place of genuine rest, we re-connect with the inner wellspring, the source of life, abundant life. Let’s call it aliveness that gushes. Come to me, Jesus says, and find life-giving rest. Amen. So may it be.
Prayer-
