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.”
Play Like a Child
At what time? This
was in the midst of Jesus teaching, healings, and miracles, He was doing in
various cities. And yet, some of the people, still refused to believe what was
taking place before their own eyes. The people who couldn’t see God were the
wise and learned people. It tells me that I can never learn enough. I’m always
going to be innocent in my own humility before the presence of God. I will
never fit the mold of self-wisdom or self-learnedness. This isn’t about how
good I think I am, this is about Jesus the Messiah! Jesus the Savior! Jesus the
God! It’s not about how wise or learned that I think that I may be in the eyes
of God.
I must face the
truth of God, and know that I am but His child. His child alone. No amount of
religious theology or learning will make me righteous. Only through Jesus am I
made righteous.
2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV
God made him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we
might become the righteousness of God.
And speaking of
being a Child… In this one verse, Jesus shows the family connection of it all,
and the intimacy He has with God the Father, and also little children. Jesus
makes things wonderfully personal and grants us a unique relationship with Him,
and the Father.
So, rejoice in
humility before God. Humility is a blessing!
Jesus has a special
relationship with God the Father. Here we see Jesus’ authority, and the
Father’s authority, are combined. This speaks to the Trinity of God. Jesus IS
God, yet has a unique call and mission, as given by God the Father, to come
into our world to save us from sin and death. This was a mission set in place
before the beginning. I’m not sure that I can explain that, even to my own
satisfaction. But does my explanation really matter? I don’t think so, it’s my
acceptance of what God the Father has led Jesus to do in this place, and in
this world, and in the finality of it all, in God’s eternal Kingdom. And in
this passage, we can see, that Jesus is revealing Himself to the world. But
will the world see, or even accept this revelation of Jesus as God and Savior?
And now for the
invitation from Jesus. Jesus sent from heaven to earth, invites us to Him. How
great is that? God comes to us in the flesh and blood of Jesus, and invites us
to be with Him, now and into eternity. Will mankind be able to get beyond their
own pride, and accept Jesus’ call to come to Him?
Jesus offers up
rest. But rest from what? For me, it’s rest from attempting to save myself
through my own selfish actions. That stuff won’t work anyway. I’ve come to
discover, that I can’t save myself, no matter how hard I try. I need a Savior
and, guess what? Here in this passage, Jesus invites me, and you, to rest in
His work of forgiveness, and victory over sin and death. That’s rest!
And then on top of
it all, Jesus willingly, and freely, offers rest IN Him. There is that gift
from God thing going at it again. God again gives us “Daily Bread.” God GIVES
all we need to live eternal life with Him!
And the way Jesus
gives us His gift of life! He is humble. That’s NOT something we are used to,
in this world of power, might, greed and self-glorification. Jesus is not only
giving us a gift of Himself; He is teaching us HOW to give of ourselves to our
neighbors as well. We give ourselves in a humble, gentle, merciful manner to
our neighbor. As we serve our neighbor, as we serve ALL people, we come to them
and serve THEM with a loving, gentle, caring heart. Think about that and look
around at how so many, in this world today, treat the “others” in their lives.
Especially those others that are different, or that we may not agree with. We
are called and taught to serve, not overpower one another.
And in this serving,
and being served by Jesus, comes the grace of God. Our response to this gift of
love from Jesus’ call to unity in Him, is for us a call to unity, in love, in
meekness, and humility, to ALL those God gives to us each and every day… even
those we love to hate. Is this an easy yoke? Well, for me, I guess that depends
on what I make of it. Will I resist the yoke? Or will I accept the yoke with
joy and thanksgiving, knowing that the “Pull” is already been done by God in
Jesus, as He carries out the mission from God the Father, with the gifts of God
the Holy Spirit. Think about your yoke and how you will respond.
Jesus demonstrates
the wonderful and awesome power of humility in that He comes to us, His
Children, His creation… He comes to us humble, as a servant, even on a donkey
on Palm Sunday at the beginning of His suffering and death, to love all of His
creation to death, death on a cross, SO THAT, we can live with God into
eternity, forgiven, and made righteous through what He does. How great is that?
Jesus, I see how
throughout all time, that you are loving and gracious and giving to me. For no
good reason, that I can see. Yet you are! And for this I give you all thanks
and praise and honor. How could I do anything else? For I see the LAW before my
eyes, and I see how I have failed you. Yet, you still come to me and call me to
you, so that we can be together into eternity. Why would You do this? I’m not
sure, but I know You did!
Wretched man that I
am, You still come to me, You still save me from sin and death, and You still
call me into Your presence. I can’t understand it, so here I am, to accept it
and to love you into eternity, serving You with my obedience to Your call. Help
me all along this path. For I know my sin, and You know my sin, yet You still
choose me.
This past week, on
Wednesday, I got sick. I mean really sick. Sick to the point that I had to stay
in. I tried taking some medicine for relief, but none of that really helped all
that much. It was a hang on kind of sick. Hang on for what, you may ask? Thursday
was the day that I would get an infusion of medicine directly into my
bloodstream that typically helped.
So, on Thursday, I
received my transfusion, and it did help. It always has helped, and this time
was no different. It was immediate relief, but it takes a couple of days for
that relief to realize it’s full impact. Well, this time the nurse wanted to
try something a bit different with the infusion. She got the doctor’s approval
to attempt a “rapid” infusion. It was sort of “rapid.” Instead of three hours
in the chair, I spent two hours in the chair, receiving the infusion, followed
by 30 minutes of observation.
So, what’s all of
this have to do with anything?
I’m reminded
that I am but a child. A child whining and groaning about some discomfort. A
child crying in pain in the darkness of my mind. Yet, I’m also reminded, as I
sit in the infusion center, that I’m not alone in my pain. Other patients, came
and went while I was sitting in that infusion chair. All of us like little
children, in a world of disease, illness, and death. All of us, children,
coming for a bit of relief, that may last, in my case about six weeks, before
the pain and suffering returns.
Yet, as I
was on Wednesday, before this infusion; my eyes couldn’t see beyond myself. I
had a hard time seeing the Thursday ahead of me.
As I live
out life in this evil, fallen, diseased, world; I must be careful not to focus
my eyes and my thoughts on just what is before me, here and now. It’s important
that, just as Jesus calls all of us, that we look beyond the evil, and disease
of this world, to SEE through the eyes of the love of God in Jesus, that comes
to us, to call us to Him, to something beyond ourselves. Something that calls
us beyond this world, in which we all live out some kind of struggle, to see
His eternal love and forgiveness and salvation. A love that calls His Children
into eternity with Him where there will be no more pain, suffering, death and
tears.
And in this
call to us, may I, and you, be able to see the love and compassion of God. May
we be able to witness God’s love to all those people entering the infusions
centers of our own lives, to offer God’s love, our love and the compassion and
love and forgiveness… as we all look beyond this temporary world to an eternal
Kingdom of God, starting here and now and moving with God into eternity.
2
Corinthians 4:18
So we fix
our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is
temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
And in
Jesus’ love and care, you, me and all who hear His call to come, can and will
be able to play like a child in the love of God, now with God, with one another
and into His Kingdom… today… tomorrow… and forever. --- Thanks be to God!
Enjoy this
YouTube Music Video that spoke to me this week…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjWvbV6ohVc&list=RDXjWvbV6ohVc&start_radio=1
