I might be alone in this but do you ever wake up with anxiety and your heart racing out of your chest, hoping when it's time to go to bed it will calm down; only to find that when you lie down your heart starts palpitating and you can't seem to get it to stop? No...just me....?
I didn't think so.
I have more recently taken notice of the adjectives used in the infamous Matthew 11:28-30 passage; heavy, gentle, lowly, easy, and light.
In context, this section of verses, in the bigger picture of Matthew 11, sits under the overarching theme of "Reactions to the King-Messiah" (11:2-12:50). Let me outline it for you:
John's confusion (11:2-15)
People were not responsive (11:16-24)
Those who were downhearted were encouraged (11:25-30)
Leaders were antagonistic (12:1-50)
Family ties were narrowed (12:46-50) 1
The section of verses we find ourselves in today is specifically about how those who were downcast/downhearted were encouraged by the King-Messiah. John the Baptist was confused, the masses of people were not responsive, but those with heavy hearts were encouraged. Why?
There are two adjectives I want to focus on that I personally believe give the reason for the downhearted to be encouraged; gentle (meek) and lowly (in heart).
The word 'meek' in Greek means "humble".
The word 'lowly' can also be seen as one who has humility (see Zechariah 9:9 and Philippians 2:7,8).
The word 'heart' in Greek means "the thoughts or feelings (mind), the middle". 2
Jesus is encouraging the downhearted to come to him to find rest. This specific promise of rest was tied to the covenantal promises about the Son of David, the Messiah, providing security for Israel. This type of rest and security can only be found in Jesus Himself, and it has eternal implications. The people of Israel didn't need to work harder or strive more to enter this rest. They didn't need to follow all of the cultural traditions or laws the Pharisees were telling them to abide by. They were being invited to come and rest safely and securely in the work that was being done and fulfilled through Christ. 3
The burden that Jesus carries is light, but not without effort. The burdens the Pharisees were placing on the people were heavy, difficult, and impossible to keep up with. Jesus on the other hand extended an invitation to come to HIM because HE is the exact opposite; humble in thought, mind, and heart. 4
When life is begging you to perform, to live up to a certain standard, or to keep up religious duties that don't satisfy, Jesus is actually inviting you to come to Him and rest.
I don't know about you, but when I'm trying to perform, live up to a certain standard, or keep up with my own false façade of looking religious outwardly...lately, the Lord has been whispering to me to come to HIM to find REST for my soul. The heavy lifting has already been done and is still being done by Christ, as I still live on this side of eternity.
He's been inviting me:
To cease.
To know Him.
To breathe deeply.
To be in His presence.
To stop performing.
To stop doing.
Our bodies house a lot. What I mean by that is that our bodies carry things; emotions, feelings, experiences, pain, T(t)rauma, joy, grief, and sadness. That list is not exhaustive but are some of the things I know my own body has carried and still carries. Another word for 'carry' can also be 'hold'. Our bodies hold a lot.
In this season of my life my body has been communicating to me to care for it with grace and tenderness. It has needed some extra food (carbs to be specific), more water (and let's be real...some more coffee), naps, exercise, and more naps. I am generally not a nap person but my body has been telling me to rest, lay down, give up my desire to perform, release control, and sleep.
One afternoon, I decided to take a nap because I was listening to my body and I really needed it. I had had a long week and I could tell my body was carrying a lot and working overtime. I fell asleep within minutes and woke up before my timer to the peaceful sound of steady breathing. I could hear myself inhaling and exhaling deeply. Slowly. No racing heart or heart palpitations from being anxious.
In a way, by my taking a nap and foregoing all the things on my to-do list, my desire to perform, and trying to achieve, I was communicating to the Lord with my whole being that I trusted Him. I was resting in Him. Placing all of my cares into his gentle and lowly heart because I could not carry it all anymore. I could not live up to it anymore. I couldn't will my way into fixing any problems I was facing.
No amount of thinking could solve my problems.
No amount of talking with others could fill the sometimes lonely void.
No amount of crossing off my to-do list could satisfy me by 5:00 pm.
No amount of creative social media posts could affirm me.
It truly was one of the most beautiful things I witnessed as I was waking up from this nap.
No solutions
No fixing
No striving
No performing
Just my body resting, breathing, healing.
Surrendering under the pressure to have life figured out.
Matthew 11:25-30 shows us a picture of people tired of doing things under the weight of religious responsibilities. Coming to Jesus provides us with the rest our souls are longing for; His yoke is easy (or kind), not screaming at us to follow all of the right rules and regulations to obtain peace, rest, and quite honestly trust in ourselves.
Maybe you too need a nap today.
Maybe you need to take notice of your breathing and take inventory.
Maybe you are learning to let go of the rules of religion to embrace the person of Jesus.
May the slow breaths you inhale and exhale today be healing prayers to the Lord.
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1 Michael Rydelnik, and Michael Vanlaningham. The Moody Bible Commentary. (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2014),
1453.
2 Spiros Zodhiates, and Warren Baker. The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible. (Chattanooga: AMG Publisher, 1991), 39, 60.
3 Ibid., 1472.
4 Ibid., 1472.
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