Rest…
“Rest,” he said. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Paradox ‘rests’ upon these verses. He promises rest, and then speaks of putting his yoke upon us, and giving us a burden that is light.
The paradox comes only because of our modern understanding of rest as the end of all labor. That is not the rest he is speaking of. In a very human sense, I can be free of labor, yet rest-less because of unrepentant sin, or because of oppression by others, or because of fear of the future, or because of the regrets of the past, or…many things. ‘Rest’ is a condition of the heart as much as of the body.
Rather than promising inactivity, Jesus is offering to enter our lives as our partner, our ‘yoke brother.’ He calls us to live as God has designed us to live, and offers his abiding presence and help. ‘Rest’ becomes the consequence of right living and right relationships.
When I think of Old Testament personalities, It comes to me that they experienced God’s rest in many different ways.
Abraham, hearing the voice of an unknown God call him to a promised land, ‘rested’ by believing and obeying. His obedience became sweet and God blessed him greatly.
Joshua stood at the brink of the Promised Land, about to lead the people of Israel in to conquer it, and I think he more than a bit intimidated. He had not been resting well. So God spoke to him and said, “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord you God is with you wherever you go.” So he ‘rested’ by obeying God, discovering that God indeed went before his people as their mighty warrior, giving them success.
How about David, whose life was filled with conflict, betrayal, and failures…but who relied on God through it all and ‘rested’ by singing most of the book of Psalms into being.
And his son, Solomon, who wanted to rule well, and so asked God, who had promised to give him whatever he asked for, for wisdom. God was so pleased that he gave him wisdom, and also riches, safety, and prosperity for the land. Solomon ‘rested’ by ruling with wisdom and great success, his gift from God.
Then came Jesus, who said that his rest was to do the will of God who sent him.
‘Rest’ is doing what God desires, living in partnership with him, following him, and leaving the results up to him.