This morning I felt led to read from 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 was just thinking about how often we just focus on one of these short paragraphs that are quoted above, rather than reading them all together, and understanding them as potentially part of the same discourse from Jesus. I love verses 28 & 29 and regularly comment or at least think about the idea of finding rest in Jesus, for my heart and mind do need rest quite frequently. However this morning as I was reading these three paragraphs together I realized these verses, while so very helpful on their own, are part of the larger topic, and should be understood in that light.
The topic is of the first two paragraphs is clearly 'knowing God the Father', so one would think that the third paragraph would have the same general theme. In light of that, is Jesus speaking about the quest to know God, in the midst of a society and culture that was full of religion, based on the Law? Is the Lord, addressing an age-old issue of our trying to find our significance and purpose, our internal awareness that there is something greater than us that has driven countless cultures to worship all sorts of gods?
In our day today so many people are exhausted, worn down, frustrated, depressed, and any number of other states of unhealthiness, and much could be related to the inability to experience peace and rest, or the missing assurance of one's purpose and identity. We are seeing so many identity issues these days and for those that struggle in this area, it must be utterly overwhelming and exhausting.
Is it possible these things are related?
It seems to me that this is exactly what the Lord is addressing here. We can know the Father, as we can know Jesus! We can understand our purpose and identity with the context of relationship with Him! In coming to Jesus, we can rest from our pursuit of other things, and be at peace! He is not some task-master that will require more and more of us to maintain His favour. He loves us, and has given everything, even His own life, to make a way for us to experience, to know His love!
It is my great prayer that my children and grand children never feel like they need to earn my love. It is my prayer that they know that I love them regardless of any and every thing. From the moment I have known about them I have loved them, and love them more every day! I believe this is just a shadow of the love and relationship we are invited into by Jesus, and the Father, and Holy Spirit! We can know who we are, and whose we are! We can know unconditional love, and we can come to a place of peace in our identity!
It is my prayer that this might be our reality! Lord help us to know You, to come to a place of peace in relationship with You! You have loved us since before the creation of the World, and we can know You and Your love for us! Help us to find rest for our souls!
Amen and Amen!
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