Sermon: Rest For the Weary
Scripture: Matt 11:25-28 “At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! 27 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Introduction: Matthew 11 follows Jesus' instructions to the apostles about taking His message and miracles to the towns of Israel. The disciples accompanied Jesus as he continued His own ministry of teaching. Jesus answers a question from John the Baptist, Are you the messiah or should we look for another? Jesus gives a wonderful answer to John’s followers. First, tell John what you have seen and tell John what you have heard. Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on: The blind see, The lame walk, Lepers are cleansed, The deaf hear, The dead are raised, The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.
Then Jesus gives strong witness to John the Baptist and ministry God had given. He concluded by saying, there no one born of a woman greater than John. Then he testified against the perverseness of the Jews. They refuse to accept John because of his rough style and mannerism. They consider John a loner, who lived in isolation. Jesus came being social, eating and drinking and they also rejected Jesus as a winebibber. He was a friend of sinner. The gospel was revealed in a simple and clear way, through messengers God chooses to send. When we reject them we reject the God who sent them.
Now being kept in prison, with an uncertain future, John must have been confused and heavy-laden. The influence of his ministry seems so limited. He is probably wondering, where did I go wrong? What could I have done differently? Has it been worth all the loneliness and sacrifice? After John's disciples leave, Jesus speaks to the crowds about John the Baptist with words of high praise. No one who has ever lived is greater than John the Baptist, Jesus says, He is the fulfillment of prophecy, God’s Elijah sent by God to prepare the way for the Messiah.
Though there are none to compare with John, every true minister of God can relate to the feeling of doubt, discouragement, and weariness. Weariness means to be exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness. It also means to lose heart or faint. When people get weary there is a temptation to give up; to become disillusioned, to give in to evil, to turn coward and leave the assignment. Believers must resist the human tendency of growing weary in doing the will of God. We have a duty as the elect of God to use our spiritual gifts in His kingdom enterprise.
I am amazed that Jesus, our blessed Redeemer never became too weary of his labor of love. He ministered to mass crowds, taught the disciples at night, rose early in the morning for prayer, faced relentless opposition and never gave up. Jesus found a rhythm in ministry. He knew when to work, and when to rest.
Have you found your rhythm in ministry? We should not be weary of well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Many struggle to find the proper rhythm for their lives. They react to one emergency after another. They rush to and fro, accomplishing very little. When they are at work, they think about home; when they are home, they are thinking about work. When they are tired, they think about vacation, when on vacation they about home. When you add ministry in the mix, they are tired, always tired. They get up tired and they go to bed tired. What about you, Do you feel drained, exhausted or overwhelmed? Do you question if there's even a point?
After three years of pandemic, economics uncertainty, civil unrest, wars and rumors of wars, inconsistent church attendance and so much more, what a great Word from the Lord. It is a comforting Word. Many are carrying a great load. Many are battling with everything that is within them. Yet, they fail to find rest in their own strength and effort. Jesus says three things, He says “come”, “take”, and “learn. That is all anyone needs to know about how to deal with the pressures of life.
1. Come To Jesus - The first step is to come to Christ. We must turn from whatever we are trying in our own efforts. In the Bible people came to Jesus for many reasons. Some came for forgiveness. Some came for answers. Some came for healing. Some came to Jesus for salvation. Some came to Him for eternal life. But here Jesus says, “You could come to me for rest.” Release your stress, release from carrying a heavy load. He asks, “Are you weary? Overloaded? Come to me.”
How do you spell relief? Where do you turn to rest? What is your source of refreshment? Food! Drugs! Alcohol! Pills! What do you reach out to for strength and comfort. Many times, Jesus has not been my first choice. The antidote for your heavy load is not a plan for time management. Time management is good. It’s not a program for stress reduction. Exercise is good. It’s not a philosophy on how to simplify your life. Decluttering your life is good, but the real answer lies in a person. His name is Jesus. The Bible says “come” to Jesus. It is the exact opposite to what the world teaches. What we need is Jesus. Why not “turn” to Him and do it now. I am not talking about religion or a system of beliefs, I am talking about a personal relationship with a person who understands, willing and is able to give you relief. You are imposing on him or intruding, He invites you to Come!
2. Take Up Jesus’ Yoke – What does a yoke symbolize? The yoke balances the burden and makes it easier to manage. In addition to its literal meaning, the concept of a yoke also appears in many scriptures as a metaphor for bondage or servitude. When two oxen are yoke together, the burden they carry is shared. Jesus was saying, walk in step with me, and allow me to share your care. You are weary because the load is too heavy. Too much worry, too much concern, too much uncertainty, let me help you!
The antidote for weariness is not time management. It’s not a program for stress reduction. It’s not a philosophy on how to simplify your life. It’s not a pill. It is a Person. That Person is Jesus. It will take total surrender of your own will. Jesus does not say, “Come to church and I will give you rest.” He does not say “Come to one of our small groups and I will give you rest.” He doesn’t even say “Come to the Bible and search for rest.” He says, “Come to me.” The answer is putting yourself in the care of one Person. He is the only answer. This is the exact opposite of what the world teaches. The world says, “Get busy and do more.” “Set your mind on other things.” The world’s ideas only work for a limited time with limited problems and in limited ways. Why don’t we turn to Jesus, walk in step with him and allow Him to share the load?
3. Learn of Him. Learn To Relinquish Control. Take up Jesus’ yoke. He says “My yoke is easy.“ One reason there is not much rest in our lives is because we think we have to be in control. We feel everything depends on us. In other words, “I’ve got to pull all the strings. I’ve got to make it happen. I’ve got to be in control. If it is going to be it’s up to me. I believe that we should do our part, make a reasonable schedule, get a proper night’s sleep, exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet and do the all the things within our control. If you still get weary, it may be beyond your control. Then, it’s up to God and not you. How about letting go of control. Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you.” What does that mean? It means partnership. You see He doesn’t have a load. He’s God. He says I will share your load with you. He says,“ walk with ne, work with me and let me share your load.”
I will be your partner. Stick with Me. It means surrendering control. When a farmer yokes up a team of oxen, they are there to share the load. The season ox, takes the lead, set the pace and provides direction. Soon both oxen are working in harmony. Jesus offers to take the lead, set the pace and provide directions for your life. He sets the directions. He keeps things moving. He sets the pace. What will it be? Your agenda or God’s agenda? You make the decision. His yoke is easy and His burdens are light.
4. Learn To Trust Jesus’s Pace for Your Life. Learning is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time. You may have to relearn some things. Being raised on a farm, plowing a team of mules, I had the occasion to watch a new mule adjust to team life. My dad would purchase a new mule that had never been use for plowing as a team. If the new mule pull ahead, the load is uneven and the job is more difficult. Finally he learns to adjust his pace and find the rhythm. We must learn to trust Jesus to set the pace and walk with Him.
The little boy came home after his first day at school. His mother asked, Did the teacher teach you anything?” “Not much“ said the boy “I have to go back tomorrow.” The little boy realized learning takes time!
First, stop complaining and start speaking words of gratitude. Learning to lean on the Lord will require gentleness and humility. Aggression and arrogance is a problem that retards our learning. We can stop that attitude right now. You see we don’t have to wait. We don’t need to pause. We should not delay.
We are offered a wonderful invitation. How will you respond? Are you sick and tired of being weary? Are you tired of being tired all the time? Life can be hard and some are near the breaking point. Turn to Jesus. You are not your own savior. Learn to trust. Try it. You might like it. Ask Jesus to forgive you for your arrogance. Forgive you for your pride. Then surrender your pace to His, walk in Step with Him. We will find rest as we walk in His way, see things through your eyes and allow Him to lead the way. Then thank God as He lightens your load, clear your way and refreshes your soul.
Psalm 23, a psalm of David says,
“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”
If we are willing to Come! “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Let us follow Him. He is leading the way. He is the way the truth and the life. Jesus will take you to where you want to be resting in green pastures and beside still waters! AMEN
