The School of Rest and Relationship

This morning I am reflecting on an interesting set of verses, and the subject is the revelation of the Father by Jesus.  Here are the verses - Matthew 11:25-30 NIV:

[25] "At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. [26] Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do."

[27] “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

[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.”

Most of this chapter is centered around Jesus' comments about John the Baptist and his response to John's disciples.  Jesus was speaking of John as the one who prepared the way (a reference to the coming Messiah) and then a comparison of His ministry to John's.  The people it seems were struggling to understand what was happening, and Jesus was laying a groundwork for understanding.

When John's disciples asked if He was the one John was sent to announce (the Messiah) Jesus replied by listing the miraculous works they had all seen (Matt 11:4-6). He then goes on to describe John's ministry as being the one who was to prepare the way for the Messiah (Matt 11: 7-10).  He describes him as greater than all the old testament prophets (Matt 11:10),  and this was all to help the people listening understand Jesus' role and purpose.

There was a spirit of unbelief in the land, as Jesus commented on a few particularly unbelieving towns, Chorazim, Bethsaida and Capernaum.   His particular comments were concerning the miracles that were performed in those cities and their unwillingness to believe. The whole point of His conversations leading up to the few verses I quoted above is that He is the Messiah!  He is revealing miracles from the Father, and some of the people are still unbelieving.

In that light, Jesus describes how He is revealing the Father!  He says that these facts are hidden from the wise and learned, yet revealed them to little children!  Sometimes I think we tend to over think, rather than to understand and embrace.  There are many verses that describe the confusion the Jews were in because, they couldn't tell for sure that Jesus was the Messiah!  As an example, as far as they knew nobody was supposed to know where the Messiah came from, but they knew Jesus grew up in Galilee, in Nazareth.  Thus they were getting stuck on details, and ministry styles and their own expectations. They were so worried about the specifics they were totally missing everything Jesus did to help them understand who He was, and it was the "wise and learned" who were the most conflicted.  Those that had the simple faith of a child were sure He was the Messiah!  Jesus even says that it pleased the Father to operate this way!  That ought to give us pause to examine our own spiritual pride in our knowledge and need to understand everything.

Anyway, Jesus goes on to say that He was revealing the Father to those He chooses!  All things had been committed to Him, and He was about the Father's work of revealing those things.  He alone truly understands the Father (with the obvious exception of the Holy Spirit), and He was revealing Him to His followers!

Knowing God, knowing about God and being His people was core to the identity of the Jews (and us of course) and Jesus was releasing significant revelation.  He knew that people were struggling and trying to understand all that He was saying and doing, and that is the context in which He invites them to 'come to Him, all who are weary and burdened'.  He wanted to calm their hearts, speak peace to their minds and allow them to learn from Him!  He was trying to make it easy for them (Matt 11:28-30)!  I heard pastor Rob Bell speak about the yoke as actually being indicative of a school of study, such as the school of the Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) and was almost like a school uniform.  I had never heard that before and it helped me to understand what Jesus was saying here.  Basically He was inviting the people to come to Him to learn of the Father, and He would make Him clear to them, for only He knew the Father!  It was a school based on resting in relationship, not study!

Later in John's Gospel, we see Jesus providing exactly the same perspective, this time to His Apostles, for even they didn't fully grasp what Jesus was saying and showing!  Here is what John recorded - John 14:8-11 NIV:

[8] Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

[9] Jesus answered: “Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? [10] Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. [11] Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves."

This pretty much sums up Jesus' ministry!  He was revealing the Father through His words and actions!  The author of Hebrews calls Jesus "the exact representation of the Father" (Heb 1:3).  We don't need to struggle to understand the Father, we can look to Jesus and learn from His words and actions!  When we see Him, we see the Father. Knowing the Father, in this light, is meant to bring us peace and rest, for in Jesus' example and words, we can understand His love for us, His mercy, His compassion, His faithfulness, His kindness, His love for sinners, for the weak, for the lost for the rejected, for the weary, and for the confused.  He loves us as we are, and has invited us all into relationship with Him!  He wants us to know that we are His sons and daughters, and to rest in that knowledge!

If you want to know who you are, study the Gospels and meet the Father through Jesus, and in His words and actions you will receive light and understanding!  Rather than working hard and trying to understand everything, allow Him to show you who He is, and learn from Him, like children who believe what they see.

This morning I am encouraged to allow the truth of Jesus' words and actions wash over me! I am encouraged to embrace relationship as the primary point of revelation of the Father! I am ecnouraged to enter the school of rest and relationship!  I am encouraged to embrace my identity as His son, knowing that He wants me to know Him!

Amen!