Revelation, Relationship and Rest

This morning I am reading from Matthew, chapter eleven, and there is much here.  Jesus answers John's followers when he asks if He is the one, Jesus talks about the generation wanting things their way, and not repenting, even in spite of the miracles.  I have recently spent time with both of these themes.  Today I felt led to reflect on the last three statements in this chapter - 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.”

I have recently been thinking about the unusual nature of God's revelation to mankind.  The way He goes about things is so different than the way we would do it if we had His power.  We are focused on power, authority, justice and the like, but we really have no idea what any of those really are like, from God's perspective.  He is all- powerful, all-knowing, creator of the universe, perfectly just, has all authority, and yet He chooses to hide much of His nature from the "wise and learned" and it please Him to do so!   I guess in some way we think God needs us to be on His side to accomplish what He is about, and when we think of how things get done in earthly ways, His ways just don't make sense.  

Clearly this is not a hard-rule, for many powerful, wise and learned men, both now and in history follow Him.   Again it is not often through meeting this cosmic super-power that people are persuaded, but rather through meeting this humble, loving, self-sacrificing Jesus, who gave His life for us.  Jesus has chosen to reveal Himself primarily as one of us, a man of humble beginnings and life, but one whose life changed the whole world, not through conquests of power and military brilliance, but through surrender, love and service, and for many of us, this just makes no sense so we struggle with understanding and acceptance.

Continuing on, Jesus says that 'all things have been committed to Him by the Father'.  While that seems like a simple statement, we cannot clearly understand, for we cannot grasp what "all things" actually means.  Clearly Jesus is our path to revelation of the Father, as He states.  He is the perfect representation of the Father (Heb 1:3) lived out here in a way that we can understand, and relate to.  He, in doing this life on earth, put human skin on God's character.  It is in our study of Him, our interactions with Him that we come to see and understand the Father more and more.  Again, it pleases the Father to do this!

Finally Jesus speaks one of my favorite verses, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (verse 28 above).  While this verse is often quoted without the previous context, I think that Jesus is continuing in the same stream of revelation here.  Jesus is speaking about relationship with the Father, understanding the Father, and those that are confounded in their search for understanding.  Historically John, flowed by Jesus broke a 300+ year drought of hearing the Word of the Lord.  The Jews were trying to understand God, and the lack of interaction with God, and were waiting for a Messiah who would free them from the Roman reign.  They were struggling to understand Jesus, as He revealed the Father, and His statement here seems to be an invitation into relationship and revelation, that would allow them to stop striving and seeking.  

The yoke Jesus speaks of could mean several things, and of them, the yoke of learning as a student studying under a master or something like an apprenticeship was a common understanding at that time.  To me, this seems like the invitation to stop trying to figure it all out, and just allowing Him to reveal Himself and the Father.  What a wonderful invitation, we don't have to strive or labor, but rather lean into Him relationally and let Him reveal Himself, and his love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, and faithfulness in a restful engagement.

Again, this seems counter-intuitive.  For many of us learning is an effort, and the Lord is saying He will give us rest, and will help us to learn, help us to grow, and enable us to do this in a place of rest for our souls.  We don't need to strive constantly, or radically change our lives, or pursue our own righteousness, instead we accept His invitation to rest and learn, and enter relationship with Him.  Who would ever guess that Lord of all would be such a gentle teacher, and desirous of relationship with us?  

Oh, this is good news and really should be rest for our souls, especially those that have been raised under a religious world-view that says it is all our responsibility and one must constantly be working to maintain a level of purity and holiness, otherwise the Lord will reject us.  That yoke is not from Him, for His is "easy and His burden is light!"

Thank You Lord for revealing the simplicity of Your invitation!  Thank You Lord that Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light!

Amen and Amen!