20 Jesus began to speak against the towns where he had done most of his miracles. The people there had not turned away from their sins. So he said, 21 “How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible for you, Bethsaida! Suppose the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon. They would have turned away from their sins long ago. They would have put on clothes for mourning. They would have sat down in ashes. 22 But I tell you this. On judgment day it will be easier for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And what about you, Capernaum? Will you be lifted to the heavens? No! You will go down to the place of the dead. Suppose the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom. It would still be here today. 24 But I tell you this. On judgment day it will be easier for Sodom than for you.”
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father. You are Lord of heaven and earth. You have hidden these things from wise and educated people. But you have shown them to little children. 26 Yes, Father. This is what you wanted to do.
27 “My Father has given all things to me. The Father is the only one who knows the Son. And the only ones who know the Father are the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to make him known.
28 “Come to me, all you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest. 29 Become my servants and learn from me. I am gentle and free of pride. You will find rest for your souls. 30 Serving me is easy, and my load is light.”
Read Matthew 11:20-30 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!
If you ever wondered if Jesus was interested in drawing people to Himself, or if the crowds that came were simply first century fans of a celebrity who could work miracles, Matthew’s gospel shares an invitation Jesus shared that has cut through time in its lovingness and simplicity.
Matthew tells us that following one of Jesus’ prayers, He says, “Come to me, all you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest. Become my servants and learn from me. I am gentle and free of pride. You will find rest for your souls. Serving me is easy, and my load is light.” (v. 28-30)
Jesus begins by inviting those in the crowd who feel tired and who feel like they are carrying heavy loads. While Jesus is sharing to a first century crowd, I imagine that description could even work in the 21st century as well. There are plenty of people, myself included, who feel worn out and tired. To those of us who feel this way, Jesus’ simple message is “I will give you rest.” (v. 28b)
After giving the description of who in the crowd He is talking to, Jesus continues the invitation by offering the chance to be His servant and to learn from Him. While serving Jesus is not always popular, it is the best way to learn from Him and test His way of life. Many people write off following Jesus’ example because it does not appear to be logical, or because some aspect of it doesn’t make sense. These people stop before actually starting and never take the opportunity to test Jesus’ words for themselves. Jesus wants to teach us, and we often learn best through experience.
Jesus then shares what He is like. Verse 29 contains His words “I am gentle and free of pride.” Jesus is not in the Messiah business to get a lot of followers or to prove something to someone. Instead, Jesus is humbly offering an invitation to whoever is not satisfied with the life they currently have. Jesus offers something that no other way of life can offer: With Jesus, “You will find rest for your souls.” (v. 29b)
Serving Jesus is easy, and the load He gives is light when compared to our other options. Every other system of faith or way of life focuses on what we can do, have done, or are capable of doing in the future. With Jesus, the focus is not on our ability or actions, but on His ability and His actions. Jesus didn’t place the focus onto Himself to show how worthy He was to be a Messiah. Instead, Jesus offered to take the consequences of those He loves onto Himself, and to give these people the freedom and opportunity of a new life with a restored relationship with God.
This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!
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