Any Rest for Me?
Have you ever found a Bible promise so contrary to daily
experience that you didn't see how it could possibly be true? If so, you may
have wrestled a bit with the astounding words of Jesus when He promised rest.
Rest! Which one of us could not use more of that? Not
boredom or lack of activity or physical sleep, but soul-deep rest. A place
where problems, tensions and worries are put aside; a time when surging emotions
settle into peace and the five-hundred pound weight pressing down our shoulders
is lifted. Rest.
Jesus gave this promise of rest not long after Matthew records:
"When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because
they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd." [1] He knew
their struggles and He longed to give them rest.
The book of Hebrews was written to a discouraged, weary
people so it's no wonder two chapters [2] are dedicated to expounding on the
Christian's promised rest. It's here that we find there are various ways to
experience the promise and that -unlike salvation-we must enter this promise
through diligent effort. [3] We must work at resting.
At first glance the idea may seem contradictory, but if you
have ever had a doctor put you on bed rest, you understand just how hard resting
can be. A myriad things cross your mind that you want to do and a thousand responsibilities
wait in the wings. Pressures mount calling you to get up, take control and DO,
but instead you lie helplessly and watch.
The concept of simply watching another work because our own
powers are incapacitated is what the writer has in mind. We are told that
anyone who enters into the rest of God's promise will "cease from his own
work." [4] And, while that position of weakness may not be acceptable to our
nature, it is the only position from which power and peace (rest) can flow.
When you are forced into physical rest, you watch others
work. They may use methods that may not be to your liking. Sometimes, you even
have to wait while the work goes undone. But, as long as you are resting, you
will not exercise your power. You may chafe at that reality, or you can accept
it, but you won't change it.
Jesus said we must "Come" to Him for rest, and then went on
to explain that our "coming" would involve a time of learning while we picked
up a "yoke." It's a special yoke; His yoke, and we understand more about what
that means when He describes Himself as "gentle and lowly in heart."
Jesus knew what it was like to lay aside personal power and
depend on another-God, His Father-to choose His path and His daily tasks. When
we follow and pick up His yoke, our activities will not cease, but we will lay
aside our power and our right to choose. The responsibility of making it all happen will belong to
Another and rest will become real.
[1] Matthew 9:36
[2] Hebrews 3 & 4
[3] Hebrews 4:11
[4] Hebrews 4:10
