That’s sounds good. In fact, that’s sounding particularly good to me today, because I’m tired. Being away with our youth at the Higher Things conference in Gainesville, Florida was a great week, but it’s a long, tiring week. All the driving down and back, all the things going on there, teaching and preaching, and staying up past my usual early bedtime . . . yeah, I’m tired. I could use a little rest.
So . . . I came here. To church. To rest.
Now, maybe you’re thinking: Wait a minute, Pastor. This isn’t rest for you. You have to teach and preach and do your Pastor things here, too. This isn’t rest – you’re working. I suppose it seems that way, and I guess I even think of it that way sometimes. But what about those words of Jesus? Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. This is where Jesus is, in His Word, in His Sacrament. So when I’m tired, here is where I need to be, don’t you think?
But we don’t think that way, do we? That’s why when you’re tired you’ve skipped church – whether it’s a Sunday after a long week, or a midweek service after a long day. Is it because we, perhaps, think of church as more work, as a duty, a responsibility, another thing I have to do? And you have so much of that already, the other five or six days of the week. So you need rest? Better stay home.
But it’s not that way at all. The devil has deceived us! Come to me, Jesus says, when you labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Here, then, is rest for you, from Him. The rest you really need.
And it really is. And an example of that for me is Holy Week. A lot of folks think Holy Week is the toughest week of the year for pastors, with all the special services each day and all the extra sermons to write. And it’s busy, no doubt about it. But Holy Week is also a week that refreshes me like no other. I spend so much time in the Word and prayer that by the end of the week, I am revitalized and well rested. The very thing Jesus has promised to do.
It was that way in the Old Testament too. The day on which the people were to gather together for church was called – not by accident – the Sabbath day – the day to rest. But just doing nothing didn’t fulfill the meaning of the day. It was the day of rest when God served them and gave them what they needed. Six days they were to labor and the seventh day they were to rest . . . by going to church.
You see, we get it wrong when we think the rest that we need is just physical rest. The Pharisees and Sadducees kept getting that wrong too, accusing Jesus over and over again of breaking the Sabbath by working on it. Their version of work. But we shouldn’t be so quick to absolutely divide things physical from things spiritual. Though that’s drummed into our heads these days by the world, this division, this absolute separation of the physical and the spiritual. . . .
What’s wearing you out? What struggle, what worry, what concern, what striving, what busyness, what burden? What keeps you up at night or distracts during the day? Are you just trying to do your best or is there more to it than that? Are you really trying to prove your worth, trying to fit in, trying to convince yourself and the world that you matter? What is it for you that is weighing heavy on your mind and wearing you out more than any exercise ever could? <
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
I’ll take a nap this afternoon, and if you know me you know I love naps! But the rest I need is here. The rest St. Paul needed is here. The rest you need is here. The rest that is found in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. In Him who came for you and fought for you and now to give you what you need: rest from the labor and burdens and worries of this world, whatever they are for you.
Rest in the forgiveness of your sins– that you don’t have to make good for all your mistakes, they are forgiven in Jesus.
Rest in His resurrection from the dead– that you don’t have to worry about death because Jesus defeated that enemy for you and promised you everlasting life.
– that you don’t have to prove yourself and earn your worth; that your value does not come just from what you can do and how much you achieve or how useful you are. You are a child of God. That makes you worth more than any of that other stuff ever could.
Rest in His Supper – that just as God fed Moses and Elijah, so He is feeding you, with Himself. Is this food for the body or food for the soul? Yes. Jesus doesn’t just feed part of you but all of you, just as He will raise all of you to everlasting life.
And finally, rest in His blessing and peace – that’s what the angels announced at Jesus’ birth, what Jesus won for you in His death and resurrection, and what is here given to you. Did you ever notice those are the last words you hear here every week, the final words of the Benediction? “And give you peace.” And you say “Amen” – gift received.
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