JUNE 6, 2023
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
There are few passages in the four Gospels more important than these words. We speak not merely of the broad and gracious invitation in our text, but of the entire closing paragraph of the chapter. We are reminded by our Lord about the great advantage of a child-like and teachable frame of mind. Jesus said in the twenty-fifth verse, “…thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” We shall never be able to explain God’s Sovereign choices, but what we can know is that men, who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight, put themselves at a great disadvantage. Those to whom the Gospel is revealed are commonly humble and willing to learn. Mary’s words are continually being fulfilled. “He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent away empty.” (Luke 1:53)
Notice the breadth and fulness of our Lord’s Gospel invitation. You may be asking, “Will Christ reveal His love to me?” Well, if you are filled with pride and conceit, and thus unwilling to learn of the Lowly Jesus, the prospect is most unlikely. Neither does He address those who are righteous and worthy. He calls out to “all that labor and are heavy laden.” It comprises multitudes in this weary, sinful world. All whose hearts are weighed down with an unbearable load of sin, or a load of sorrow; all who bear a load of anxiety, or a load of remorse – all such, regardless of their past lives, are invited to come to Christ.
Mark what a kind and gracious offer Jesus makes: “I will give you rest – ye shall find rest unto your souls.” What warmth and comfort are in these words! Unrest is one great characteristic of this world – it is compared to the restless sea. So many things prevent our rest, such as hurry, vexation, failure, and disappointment, all attending every day. But Jesus stands and beckons to all who are weighed down with care. In Christ is found rest for the conscience, rest for the heart, rest built on pardon for sin and a peace that endures.
What a simple request Jesus makes to the laboring and heavy-laden ones. “Come unto me: – Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me.” He interposes no hard conditions; He requires no works to be done, or anything of merit on the sinner’s part. He only says, “Come;” come as you are without one plea except for what His grace provides. He seems to say, “Delay not, wait not for, nor seek for help from any other quarter; just come, come today, come as you are, come unto me.”What an encouraging account Jesus gives of Himself. He says, “I am meek and lowly in heart.” How true that is, according to the experience of all the saints of God. When Jesus called a little child unto Him (Matt. 18:2) the child, looking upon His kind face, came to Him without hesitation, knowing there was nothing to fear. So it is with every “babe” to whom He is revealed. This is the only place in Scripture where the “heart” of Christ is actually mentioned. This saying is one never to be forgotten.
Have we accepted this invitation for ourselves? Why should anyone who answers to the description of those who are invited delay coming to Jesus for even a moment? Have we sins to be forgiven, griefs to be removed, or wounds of conscience to be healed? He says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” The burden of sin is crushing, and the yoke of bondage is hard to bear, but Jesus assures all who will come, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Vs. 30)
If we have come to Him already, let us learn to cleave to Him. If you have never come to Him, may you begin to come today.
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