Scripture:
Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV
[28] Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Observation:
I don’t know that I have ever zeroed in on this particular scripture for a SOAP. I know it’s not a lot of Scripture, but I believe it’s packed full of wisdom. So let’s look at it a little better. What labor is it that Jesus is talking about, and why would HIS way be any better? The call to come to HIM IS a statement that is designed to draw people to HIM. HE wants it to be appealing. It has to be by choice to be drawn to HIM rather than telling someone it’s something they have to do. That’s the way HE is taking them away from. In fact, that’s the work HE is asking if they are tired of. The Jewish people believed that the law was a means of salvation, but it was honestly never meant to save them. Salvation was standing right in front of them, drawing them near, through a humble and quiet spirit. By the time Jesus had come into the world, the Jewish people had worked their way into a spot. They were under the oppression of the Roman Empire and trying to hold on to their laws, traditions, and festival sacrifices. This was becoming harder and harder. Then Jesus showed up saying something that sounded new to them. It was not what they had expected. Sure, they were tired of working trying to maintain the law and stoning those who would not follow it according to the letter. It was truly exhausting and seemingly impossible…. without help. “Come to ME,” all of you who are tired of this way. It just can’t be done. What the Jews did not realize is that the law was given so that they could see just how sinful they were, and the fulfillment of the law was standing right in front of them. Telling them HIS way is easier. With an open invitation to give it a shot. HIS invitation was this… put down the religion and pick up a relationship with ME. I have not come to abolish the law. I have come to show you what all that stuff pointed to. It’s a broken sacrificial system that was never meant to save you. The statement at the end of these verses is so powerful that it can be dismissed pretty easily, I believe that what is being said is put down the have to and pick up the want to. Religion says I have to do this to please GOD, and the relationship says I want to do this because it pleases GOD.
Application:
Have you ever noticed that when you have to do something, it becomes like a burden. I remember when I was a kid. I would be told I have to clean my room and make my bed. I never really wanted to. So every time I was told to, I would huff and puff and try to find a way out of it. It was such a burden, and I didn’t like it, and all though, I was told I had to. I never really developed the want to until I realized how much easier life was when I did decide to clean my room and make my bed. I could find the things I used to spend hours looking for. Because they had a specific place. What used to be a burden is now a delight. Now, I’m not going to say that I enjoyed the training process of spanking, which gave me the desire to clean my room. But eventually, the discipline became something I wanted to do. My point is this when I was a child, I thought like a child, I spoke like a child, and I acted like a child, but when I became a man, I put away my childish ways. I had to be told the things I didn’t want to do until I realized that life was so much easier if I just did them now. Today, I want to do them. So, how does all this work out according to the scripture that was presented this morning. Well, honestly, it comes down to this… grace allows natural consequences to build in us the desire to do the will of GOD. At some point in life, we will hear the invitation for the easier softer way. We will lay down the have to of religion and pick up the want to of relationship. My life is so much easier today. I’m not fighting it anymore… doing a bunch of stuff I don’t want to do. Keeping some list of have to’s. Today, I want to please GOD’S I have a relationship with HIS son Jesus Christ who shapes me through HIS grace gently molding me to be more like HIM every day. Have you ever seen a potter working a piece of clay on the wheel? HE keeps it wet and applies pressure when needed to the areas that don’t fit how HE invasions the pot to be shaped. The pressure is just enough to make the vessel take its shape. Just like the yoke of Jesus when true biblical grace is applied… our desires start to line up with HIS desires of us, and our lives become so much easier. We realize that GOD is not trying to keep us from what is good for us. HE is telling us that what we thought was good for us only brought us pain and suffering, so this is a call to submission to the easier softer way. A way that brings our lives into line with GOD’S will, which is clearly detailed in HIS word. I feel like most of us reading this already know Jesus as our LORD and SAVIOR, but if by chance you don’t. I want you to know that today is the day. You can put down that heavy burden and reast in the fact that Jesus has done what was necessary so that you could build a relationship with the Father, HE planned this very moment in time for you. Because HE knew your burdens would get heavy, HE knew that HIS way was so much better that HE gave the life of HIS son to prove it. The question is, are you tired? Are you ready? Do you want something different? If that’s you this morning, please feel free to send me a personal message so we can talk a little more about the next step. May the Holy Spirit lead your heart.
Prayer:
Father, you know our hearts. You know where we are struggling. You know how hard life is when we try to do this our way, and you have called us to something better. Something bigger than us. We want to lay down our white flag. We want to put down what we think we know for what you have in store for us. This life is simply not about us. It’s simply about what you want for us to become our true heart desires because it’s good. We surrender to your ways and ask that you lead us to where you are. Help us to understand your will for us. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen.