Come to Me

Jesus' invitation to come to him is a standing invitation. He wants us to come to him, and he will give us rest. Here are his words: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt 11:28-30). He knows that we are weary and burdened and he can give us the rest that we long for. There is no need to wonder if he will receive us. He will! There is no need to ponder if we have pure motives. He doesn’t care! He just wants us to come. Here are two stories about two of my granddaughters to illustrate my point.

When our granddaughter, Adela, was little, she would not have anything to do with me. On one occasion, we went to help take care of her one day while her mom and dad were busy. However, Adela only wanted my wife, Marilyn. When Marilyn decided to wash her hair, Adela stayed outside the bathroom door crying for her. Even though Marilyn couldn’t hear her because of the blow-dryer, Adela stayed right there. Finally, when she got tired, she came to me, put her arms up as if to say, “Okay, I guess you are the only one available.” I didn’t respond, “Hey, kid, I’m not taking you because I know I’m your second choice.” No! I was glad she came, and I picked her up and held her until she went to sleep. Jesus doesn’t judge us as to our worthiness when we come to him. He just picks us up and takes away our burden and gives rest.

Once I was playing a game with another granddaughter, Eliana, when she was just two-years-old, I asked, “Are you Grandpa’s girl?” She usually answered, “No, I’m grandma’s girl or mommy’s girl.” I responded by saying, “What!” and she giggled. However, this particular night she asked me to pick her up. She came up to me, said, “Grandpa, can I hold you?” I, of course, picked her up and sat her on my lap. What she really wanted were the Cheese Puffs I was eating. I asked her, “Whose girl are you?” She responded, “Grandpa’s girl.” I knew it was a lie because she wanted the Cheese Puffs, but I didn’t care. I took advantage of a moment to love my little granddaughter when she asked to be held. Likewise, when we come to Jesus regardless of the reason, he never questions the motive but extends his loving arms to us.

In a day when there is so much pain and so much heartache, which produces so much loneliness and sadness, what people need more than anything else is the rest that Jesus gives. “Come to me,” he says, and “I will give you rest.” I don’t care what you are going through or where you are right now I implore you to come to Jesus and allow him to take the heavy burden you are carrying away and let him give you rest.

Taking Time Off

After finishing 20 years here at People’s Church, the Board of Deacons offered Marilyn and me a month-long sabbatical. We are just back from that time off and are so grateful for the chance to getaway. We drove to California, and though it is a long drive, we always enjoy the opportunity to see the handiwork of the creator on the journey. This time away allowed us to be with Marilyn’s mother and stepfather and to be able to help them in ways we cannot normally do. We spent time with them and took them to their appointments and fixed things up around their house. We also had the opportunity to spend the weekends with our daughter, Carin, her husband Richard, and our two California grandkids, Caitlin and Donovan. Since we only get to see everyone in California maybe once a year, this was a real privilege. We also had the opportunity to make a quick trip to the coast and have some of the best fish and chips.

Our trip to the San Joaquin Valley coincided with harvest time.  We saw almonds, pistachios, grapes, and raisins being harvested everywhere. The cotton was only a few weeks away from its harvest. Seeing these harvests is a sight to behold, and it brings back a lot of memories.

We returned through the Rockies and saw beautiful sights in Utah and Colorado. The fall colors in the Rockies were breathtaking. We spent some time in Colorado Springs where Marilyn’s sister Ginny lives. It’s a beautiful city that has a daily view of Pike’s Peak.

As I reflect on the time off, I can see the value in unplugging from the daily routine. I am grateful for all the little ways that God brings joy to our lives. Sometimes we miss the enjoyment of the little moments because we are looking for the big ones. Our time off had very few big moments but was filled with lots of the little moments that brought us so much joy.

Rest

The more we learn about our universe, our planet and its moon and its place in our solar system, and the placement of the other planets, we are awestruck. It appears that no other planet has the capability of sustaining life as our planet earth does. The 23 degree slant of the earth is a marvel. If it were not tilted at that precise angle, we would not enjoy our seasons. We would either freeze to death or burn up. If our moon did not function in perfect relationship to the earth, we would be flooded by the tides. All of this is the work of our divine creator.

Moses writes, “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day, he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done” (Gen 2:2-3). God rested from all his work of creation. The omnipotent God needs no rest, as we do, regardless of any power that he exerts. His power is infinite. The rest means to cease. God rested from his creative work.

God blessed the Seventh Day and made it holy, setting it apart from the other six days. God made this day of rest a day that can stimulate and enrich our lives. A day to rest not only our bodies but also our minds and spirits. It is a day for us to look beyond our temporal circumstances to eternal vistas. The heavens remind us that we have a creator. It is a day to contemplate what God wants in our lives both now and in the future. Isaiah said that when we honor the Sabbath, it will become a day of delight (Isa 58:13-14).

The Sabbath also reminds us of our redemption from sin and the transformation that God has done in us. The rest of the Sabbath reminds us, as it did Israel, that we celebrate two important things on this day. First, the remembering of our creator—which tells us of where we came from and how we got here. Secondly, of redemption. As the Israelites celebrated their exodus from Egypt, we too celebrate our exodus from our own Egypt.

One of the reasons I believe we suffer in so many ways is that as a society we profane this Holy Day. God made it for us, and it is our opportunity to rest and honor him, and as a result, we are refreshed. Jesus knew our need of rest as it is stated in his famous invitation to rest:

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Filling the Emptiness

I am shocked by how many unhappy people I meet on a day-to-day basis. Many of the people I am referring to live unfulfilled lives. Depression is a major problem in our world today. It is a state where people experience extreme changes in their moods. Most common is a low, sad state where life looks empty and dark and the simple challenges of life seem completely overwhelming. It affects our emotions, our motivation, our ability to think straight and, ultimately, our behavior.  The most common descriptions people give of their feelings during depression are that of being “miserable,” “empty,” and “humiliated.” They experience little pleasure in life and may experience anxiety, anger or agitation. Some begin their day in depression, while others end their day that way, and still others have patterns of depression on the weekend. Most people who suffer from depression do not realize they are in company with Isaac Newton, Beethoven, Darwin, Van Gogh, Tolstoy, Spurgeon, Moses and Queen Victoria. Yet, for most, the subject of depression is rarely discussed, and they live in a state of disapproval, suspicion and guilt.

For most people depression has its roots in some kind of disappointment. It comes when they strive to be appreciated as a child by parents, teachers and others and are not. They react to criticism and rejection, which sometime come in the form of a trauma, by isolating themselves. They get angry when things go wrong, accenting their failure to acquire coping skills. They feel unloved, inferior and inadequate. All this and much more becomes the basis for depression, leading to unhappiness in their lives.

They develop an attitude of defeat. They avoid challenges because they don’t feel up to the task. They consider themselves second-class people. Thus, it is understandable that they would develop an attitude of entrapment. They don’t see any alternative escape with or without the help of others.

Jesus spoke to the depressed when he said these words:

Matt 11:28-30

“‘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.’"

John 7:37-38

“On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’" 

What a beautiful invitation from the one who offers to give us rest. Rest in the area we most hurt, our souls and spirits. Jesus is able to lift the burden we have become accustomed to carrying. He not only promises us rest, but he promises to transform us into a person who is overflowing with something to share with others.