“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
This is one of the first verses I ever committed to memory as an adult. It is the beginning of a short three-verse passage from Matthew’s Gospel. I’ve preached it, written about it, and shared it countless times. Yet, as so often happens with Scripture, today during my morning devotions I was struck by something in this passage I hadn’t seen before. In the words of author Dane Ortlund, “His rest is gift, not transaction” (Gentle and Lowly). Our world is filled with transactional relationships—relationships built on the expectation of reciprocation. It’s the relationship you have with a barber, a mechanic, a barista, and a server at a restaurant. Even though these people may be genuinely friendly, their relationship with you, in some way shape or form, depends on the fact that you are going to pay them for their services. It is a transactional relationship. Transactional relationships aren’t limited to those in which money changes hands. Sometimes we are friendly to others and others are friendly to us in view of the fact that at some point we may need their help. There is an expectation of reciprocal courtesy. For example, if I see that my neighbors unwittingly left their garage door open, I will tell them, knowing that “one good turn deserves another.” Transactional relationships aren’t bad. In fact, such relationships are necessary for functioning on planet earth. Having said that, I do believe there are some relationships that are never meant to be transactional. For example, the love I have for my children, or grandchildren, is not transactional, for even if my love is not reciprocated, I will still love them. Likewise, the relationship we have with Jesus is not transactional. Nor is His offer of rest in Matthew 11:28-30. In a “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch your back” world, it’s easy for Christians to think in transactional terms when it comes to our relationship with Christ. It’s easy to superimpose onto our relationship with Jesus this sort of transactional mindset, this sense that if I’m a good boy and eat all my spinach, Jesus will reward me. Don’t get me wrong…rewards are a real thing in Scripture. The Bible makes clear that how we live in this world will directly impact eternal rewards. As Jesus says in Revelation 22:12, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.” Yet, the existence of rewards doesn’t mean that this is the primary basis by which we relate to Jesus. In truth, far more frequent than the word reward in the New Testament is the word grace or gift. Reward is found around 25 times in the New Testament, while grace or gift is found nearly 175 times. Especially noteworthy is the fact that in Matthew 11:28-30 we bring nothing to the table but ourselves. We do nothing to earn or deserve this rest. Jesus simply bids us come and He will give us rest. I guess someone could read the following verse from a transactional perspective. Jesus continues, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble (or Gentle and Lowly) in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:29). Yoke is an implement of labor. Does that mean Jesus wants us to work for our rest? That’s not the point of the yoke analogy. The point of the yoke is that we find rest when we realize that we don’t have to carry our burdens alone. If you picture two bulls sharing one yoke as a means of working the land, then you get the picture that when we take on Jesus’ yoke, we are tied to Him, the one who is able to carry the load. When we are yoked with Jesus, He carries the weight. It’s kind of like a child who is “helping” mommy or daddy carry a heavy object. When we come to Jesus for rest, He takes the weight of our burdens and exchanges them for His easy and light burden. So, what is our part in experiencing or finding this rest? Our part is simply coming to Jesus. To those who are worn out, tired, or exhausted by life’s burdens, Jesus says “come” and “find.” It’s not transaction, it’s grace. Rest is provided not as a reward for good behavior, but as a gift to all who come to Him. Which brings us to the real question: Do you come to Jesus? Do you come often, regularly, daily? How ironic it is that the very thing we need the most (see Mary and Martha, Luke 10:38-42) is the thing we so easily neglect. All we need to do is come to Him. Yet, it is the coming to Him that we find so difficult in a busy world. It is for this reason that we, as a church, offer Sunday School classes, community groups, Treasures, Life on Life, Ladies Bible Study, Men’s breakfast, JAM, Bible studies, AWANA, and Kids Grow. These are all “come to me” opportunities. They aren’t transactional, things we do to earn God’s approval and favor. They are of grace—the gift of rest Jesus gives to those who come to Him. As we enter another busy season, may we take advantage of opportunities that will help us prioritize coming to Jesus. May we do so not with a transactional mindset, as if we are putting in our time or doing our duty so we can get a reward. But may we be driven by a desire to know Him, grow in our love for Him, and experience the soul rest that is only found in His presence.
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Dan GannonDan has ministered at Renton Bible Church, with his wife Debbie, since 2003. Archives
June 2022
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