“Come to me, you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest,” Jesus said. The Pharisees that Christ Jesus so passionately opposed were all about laying burdens and hardships on people. Jesus came along and spoke of his light yoke and urged the people to come to him for rest. The last thing on God’s green earth he wanted to do was to burden people. He came to liberate people back then, and can liberate us now, from the suffering and misery and indignities imposed by control freaks and power brokers. Here’s a word on resting in the love and grace of Christ from the prolific, evangelical Christian writer Max Lucado, for your Lenten thought for the day:
Catholic Church in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, Belize
We so fear failure that we create the image of perfection. The result? The weariest people on earth. Attempts at self-salvation guarantee nothing but exhaustion. We scamper and scurry, trying to please God, collecting merit badges, and scowling at anyone who questions our accomplishments.
Hebrews 13:9 says, “Your hearts should be strengthened by God’s grace, not by obeying rules.” Jesus doesn’t say, “Come to me, all you who are perfect and sinless.” Just the opposite. “Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”
Let grace happen, for heaven’s sake. No more performance for God, no more clamoring after God. Of all the things you must earn in life, God’s unending affection is not one of them. You have it. You can rest now!
Leave a Reply