Rest for the Burdened

It's great to worship with you.

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Sean.

I'm one of the pastors of Trinity Cambridge Church.

And it's my great honor and joy to preach God's word to you this morning.

If you have your Bibles with you, please open to Matthew chapter 11, verses 25 to 30.

Matthew 11:25–30

It's a short passage this morning because there is such a rich and important passage.

Matthew 11, 25 to 30.

Let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's word.

Heavenly Father, since the beginning, the devil has been slandering you.

And making us think hard thoughts of you.

But we ask this morning that by your word, by your son, Jesus Christ, that you speak over our hearts and minds once for all.

Your true character.

Your true heart.

What you are like.

What our Savior, Jesus, is like.

And that for all sinners here this morning, weary and heavy laden.

That you grant us all the soul rest that Christ alone offers.

Do this.

For your glory, Father.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Please stand if you are able as I read from Matthew 11, 25 to 30.

At that time, Jesus declared,

I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding

and reveal them to little children.

Yes, Father.

Yes, Father.

For such was your gracious will.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father.

And no one knows the Son.

And no one knows the Son except the Father.

And no one knows the Father except the Son.

And anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,

for I am gentle and lowly in heart.

And you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

This is God's holy and authoritative word.

Please be seated.

Many critics throughout history have claimed

that Christianity is too demanding,

too burdensome for its followers.

In his books on the genealogy of morality

and another one of his books, The Antichrist,

19th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche

railed against Christianity for imposing

what he labeled a slave morality.

A morality of the weak and the powerless

that inverted the natural master morality

of the strong and the powerful.

He argued that Christianity's teaching

about renouncing worldly pleasures and sinful desires

inhibits full human expression and enjoyment of life.

He claimed that Christianity's emphasis on guilt and sin

creates an inner tormentor that psychologically cripples people

and spiritually burdens people.

Maybe you feel this morning the sting of Nietzsche's critique

in your own life.

You feel that the requirements of God's law

are a heavy burden upon your shoulders.

Perhaps for some of you it has felt too heavy lately.

I can concede that Nietzsche's observations

are not entirely unfounded.

Earlier in chapter 10, verses 38 to 39,

Jesus said,

Whoever does not take his cross and follow me

is not worthy of me.

Whoever finds his life will lose it,

and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Following Jesus entails taking up a cross

and following him on a path of suffering,

persecution, and possibly even martyrdom.

We do have to renounce ourselves,

our selfish desires, and our selfish ambitions

for the sake of Christ.

But the problem with Nietzsche's observation

is that he sees only half the story.

He doesn't understand what we gain as Christians.

He doesn't understand that the sacrifices that we make

are no sacrifices at all,

considering what we gain in exchange.

He doesn't understand that only those

who have renounced the fleeting pleasures of this world

can enjoy the eternal pleasures at the right hand of God.

He does not get it,

that only those who acknowledge their guilt and sin

can confess their sins

and receive the freedom of forgiveness

and the mercy and grace of God.

That only those who have truly felt

the depth of their own depravity

can also truly feel the depth of God's mercy.

Yes, following Jesus entails taking up our cross.

Yes, it means taking on the yoke of Christ.

But Jesus assures us in this passage,

my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Do you seek reprieve from your heavy burden?

Do you long for rest from your wearisome labors?

This passage teaches us that Jesus offers rest

for little children who come to him.

First, we're going to talk about the revelation of Jesus.

And secondly, we'll talk about the invitation

of Jesus in this passage.

He says in verses 25 to 26,

at that time, Jesus declared,

I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

that you have hidden these things

from the wise and understanding

and reveal them to little children.

Yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.

The phrase, at that time, links this passage

to the passage that came before it,

which Ed preached on this past Sunday,

where Jesus denounced the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida,

and Capernaum for their rejection of him

and his message, the gospel of the kingdom.

In verses 18 to 19, we saw some of the reasons

why people of these towns rejected Jesus.

When John the Baptist, who lived an austere life

and fasted from food and drinks,

often proclaimed that Jesus, the Messianic King,

is coming and that therefore they need to repent

of their sins, these towns rejected John the Baptist

saying, he has a demon.

When, on the other hand, Jesus came after John

on the scene and then he started befriending sinners,

calling them to repentance and eating and drinking

in their homes.

People then rejected, these people from these towns

rejected Jesus too, saying,

he is a friend of sinners,

friend of tax collectors and sinners,

a glutton and a drunkard.

They rejected John for being too ascetic.

They rejected Jesus for being too indulgent

from their perspective.

They were like a fickle child

when you play a card game with them

and says, hey, whoever has the most cards

at the end of the game wins.

And then as you near the end of the game

and when the child is about to lose,

he says, oh, no, no, no, no,

the person with the least cards wins the game.

He keeps changing the game,

changing the terms of the game,

moving the goalposts,

like a debater who keeps changing the terms

of the debate,

who are not interested in learning the truth,

finding the truth,

rather only interested in proving themselves right

and proving the others wrong.

Reflecting on this reality,

Jesus, in this passage,

he prays to God the Father,

a prayer of thanksgiving,

which is shocking

in light of the rejection that he just faced.

And he says this,

I thank you, Father,

Lord of heaven and earth,

that you have hidden these things

from the wise and understanding

and reveal them to little children.

Yes, Father,

for such was your gracious will.

God the Father,

who is the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth,

has in his authority,

in his prerogative,

hidden these things from the wise and understanding.

What are these things that God has hidden from them?

It's the good news of the kingdom of heaven

that Jesus has been proclaiming.

Namely, that Jesus is the son of God,

the divinely appointed messianic king

who brings forth the kingdom of God

to save his people.

But why is God hiding these things

from the wise and understanding?

The wise and understanding refer

not to those who are truly wise

and understanding in a biblical sense,

spiritual sense,

but rather to the prideful people in the world

who are wise in their own eyes.

Wise in a worldly sense,

esteemed by the world.

How do we know that?

Skip back to verse 23 for a moment with me.

One of the towns that rejected Jesus was Capernaum.

And Jesus says,

and you, Capernaum,

will you be exalted to heaven?

No, you will be brought down to Hades.

The people who rejected Jesus

pridefully thought to themselves

that they will be exalted to heaven.

We are the wise ones who know our stuff.

We're not like the simpletons

who are following after Jesus.

The world is going to see

how wise and discerning we were in the end.

We're going to be exalted to the heavens.

But the Lord of heaven and earth

has other plans.

He has decreed that far from being exalted to heaven,

Capernaum, Chorazin, Bethsaida,

all these towns that reject Jesus

will be instead humbled

and brought down to Hades,

the underworld of the dead.

God the Father has hidden

the saving knowledge of his son

and his kingdom from the prideful.

In contrast, Jesus says,

the Lord of heaven has revealed these things

to little children.

Little children is one of Matthew's favorite way

of referring to the disciples of Jesus,

those who humbly follow Jesus.

Earlier in Matthew chapter 10, verse 42,

Matthew 10:42

Jesus said,

whoever gives one of these little ones

even a cup of cold water

because he is a disciple.

Truly I say to you,

he will by no means lose his reward.

The little ones of God

are the disciples of Jesus Christ.

Later in Matthew 19, 13 to 15,

when his entourage rebukes the parents

who are trying to bring their kids to Jesus

so that Jesus can lay hands on them

and bless them and pray for them,

Jesus rebukes those disciples

and he says,

let the little children come to me

and do not hinder them

for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.

Why does the kingdom of heaven belong to people

who are like these little children?

Jesus tells us in Matthew 18, 1 to 6.

In that context,

his disciples are arguing about

who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

So this is proof that

we are not the only generation

fascinated with the goat arguments,

who is the greatest of all time.

Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

And then Jesus puts a child

in the midst of them in the middle

and he says,

truly I say to you,

unless you turn and become like children,

you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Whoever humbles himself like this child

is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Humility is the point

that Jesus is getting at.

How are children humble?

Children instinctively

entrust themselves to their parents' provision.

Jesus said in Matthew 6, 31 to 32,

do not be anxious saying,

what shall we eat or what shall we drink?

Because he said,

for your heavenly father knows what you need.

The children of our church

never worry about where their next meal is coming from

because it's not their job.

It's not their concern.

They're not orphans who must fend for themselves

and feed themselves.

They have parents who provide for them

by God's grace.

So likewise,

we Christians,

we ought to entrust ourselves

to our heavenly father's care.

When I'm walking with my girl sometimes,

yesterday I was walking home with Ina

and then about 50 meters ahead,

there was a homeless man

who just burst out laughing all of a sudden.

And he's actually a really nice guy

with friendly terms.

But Ina doesn't know.

She's just kind of freaked out.

She's like,

what is going on?

And then of course,

immediately what happens is

she comes next to me

and starts holding my hand.

Because that's what children instinctively do

when they're afraid.

They rely on their father for protection.

Children understand their own neediness.

They are by definition

not sufficient,

not self-sufficient.

That's why we call them legally dependents.

The Greek word used here for little children

is the same word that is later translated

in Matthew 21, 16 as infant.

They are really dependent children.

In the earthly value scale,

infants offer no economic value.

They're on the opposite end of the spectrum

as mature, self-sufficient adults.

But in the heavenly value scale,

many who are first will be last

and the last first,

Jesus says in Matthew 19, 3.

God reveals himself only to little children

because God is the only father

in the household of God.

Only dependents may come in to his family.

God saves only those who acknowledge

that they cannot save themselves

and cry out to him for help.

Proverbs 3, 34,

quoting Proverbs 3, 34,

1 Peter 5, 5 says this,

God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble.

This is God's mode of operation.

As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1, 26-29,

for consider your calling, brothers.

Not many of you are wise

according to worldly standards.

Not many were powerful.

Not many were of noble birth.

But God chose what is foolish in the world

to shame the wise.

God chose what is weak in the world

to shame the strong.

God chose what is low and despised in the world,

even things that are not,

to bring to nothing things that are

so that no human being might boast

in the presence of God.

God reveals himself only to little children

so that no human being might boast

in the presence of God.

Think about it this way.

If you invite rich and powerful people

to your party,

they think to themselves,

well, of course,

I'm invited to this party.

Who else would they invite?

I'm important.

I'm successful.

I'm deserving.

I have something to offer.

They boast and glory in themselves.

But if you invite the poor,

and the weak,

the needy to your party,

they think to themselves,

why did I get invited to this party?

I don't belong here.

How generous is this host?

How gracious is this host?

That is God's purpose.

Yes,

Father.

Jesus says in verse 26,

for such was your gracious will.

It pleases the Father

to reveal himself to little children.

Jesus continues in verse 27,

all things have been handed over to me by my Father.

And no one knows the Son except the Father.

And no one knows the Father except the Son.

And anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Maybe some of you have had the unfortunate but common experience

of trying to break into a very tight-knit,

intimate,

and exclusive friend group in the past.

They've known each other for years,

and you've known them for weeks.

It feels like you'll never quite fully be included.

Well then,

imagine what it's like trying to get inside

the Son's eternal relationship

with his Heavenly Father.

Jesus says in John 17,

John 17:24

verse 24,

that God his Father

loved him

before the foundation of the world.

What was God doing

before he created the world?

He was loving his Son.

God is love.

God the Father

is the lover.

His Son is the beloved.

And it's the Spirit of God

who envelops them.

In that triune love.

And Jesus says,

no one knows the Son except the Father,

and no one knows the Father except the Son.

This is the most intimate,

most exclusive,

infinite relationship.

Well then,

who can know God?

No one knows the Father except the Son.

No one knows the Son except the Father.

We, however,

here Jesus opens the door.

No one knows the Father except the Son,

and anyone to whom

the Son chooses to reveal him.

We, the creatures,

can come personally

to know God,

our Creator,

if Jesus,

the Son of God,

chooses to reveal him to us.

That's the amazing privilege

that this passage is speaking of.

And that's a remarkable statement.

Early in verse 25,

we were told that it is God,

the Father,

who as Lord of heaven and earth,

sovereignly chooses

whom to reveal himself to.

But now,

in verse 27,

Jesus says that the Son

is the one who reveals

God

to whomever he chooses.

How can this be?

Look at the beginning of verse 27.

All things have been handed over

to me by my Father.

Do you see the staggering

implications of that?

Jesus is claiming for himself

the cosmic,

universal,

sovereign authority

of the Lord of heaven and earth.

Students of Scripture

have frequently noted

that the Gospel of John

has a very exalted Christology.

It speaks of Jesus

in cosmic,

divine,

exalted terms.

But while John's

high Christology

is the most explicit,

it is not true

that the other Gospel writers,

Matthew, Mark, and Luke,

have a lower Christology.

They have just as high

a view of Jesus,

and our passage this morning

is an unmistakable

instance of that.

This is the kind of language

that John uses,

that Matthew has here

in this passage.

To give you an example,

John 1.18,

no one has ever seen God.

God, the only Son,

who is at the Father's side,

He has made Him known.

John 3.35,

the Father loves the Son

and has given all things

into His hand.

John 5.21-23,

for as the Father

raises the dead

and gives them life,

so also the Son

gives life to whom He will.

For the Father judges no one,

but has given all judgment

to the Son,

that all may honor the Son

just as they honor the Father.

The Father has entrusted

all things,

it says,

to the Son.

All things have been handed

over to me by my Father.

Therefore,

it is the Son's prerogative

to choose whom He will hide

these things from

and whom He will reveal

these things to.

This is what we see

in Matthew 13.10-16.

When His disciples ask Him,

Why do you speak to the crowds

in parables?

Jesus answers them,

To you it has been given

to know the secrets

of the kingdom of heaven,

but to them it has not been given.

This is why I speak to them

in parables,

because seeing they do not see

and hearing they do not hear,

nor do they understand.

But blessed are your eyes

for they see

and your ears for they hear.

Jesus' parables were not like

sermon illustrations that we use

that are meant to clarify

and make more vivid

the points that we are making.

No, the parables of Jesus

were meant to hide,

conceal the secrets of the kingdom

so that people might hear the truth

and yet still not understand.

Then that raises the question,

To whom does Jesus reveal

the secrets of the kingdom?

His disciples,

the little children.

And what is the difference

between the disciples

and the crowds?

Jesus says in John 9, 39-41,

For judgment I came into this world

that those who do not see may see,

and those who see may become blind.

Some of the Pharisees near Him

heard these things and said to Him,

Are we also blind?

Jesus said to them,

If you were blind,

you would have no guilt.

But now that you say we see,

your guilt remains.

The difference between

Jesus' disciples and the Pharisees

is that the Pharisees

claim that they can see.

We have spiritual sight, you see.

We have wisdom.

We are enlightened.

And therefore,

because of their pride

and self-sufficiency,

the secrets of the kingdom of heaven

are hidden from them.

They are blind

because they think that they see.

The disciples, on the other hand,

they know that they are blind.

They know that they lack wisdom.

And it's their humility

and dependence upon God

that makes them recipients

of the revelation of Jesus.

So that they can say,

I once was blind,

but now I see.

That, of course,

raises the all-important question for us.

Which group am I in?

Am I in that group,

those from whom the truths of God are hidden?

Or am I in the group

where the truths of God are revealed?

How do I get that exclusive ticket

to the loving knowledge

and relationship

between the Father and the Son?

You need not wonder

because Jesus' sovereign revelation of Jesus

is put right next to

His gracious invitation in verse 28.

You can find out which group you belong to

by how you respond to Jesus' invitation.

Come to me,

all who labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

First, let's note what the subject

of this invitation is.

What is Jesus inviting us to?

Or whom is Jesus inviting us to?

The subject of this invitation

is Jesus Himself.

He invites us to come to Him.

Come to me,

and I will give you rest.

This is striking.

Jesus is speaking here of soul rest.

He's not an innkeeper who says,

come here,

and I'll let you sleep

and get some rest.

He's talking about soul rest,

eternal rest,

eternal life.

So what must we do

to inherit eternal life?

Eternal rest,

Jesus says,

come to me.

Many people have noted

that Jesus is likely here

alluding to the book of Sirach,

which is a Jewish literary work

written about 200 years

before Jesus' time.

It's not part of the Old Testament canon,

but it was included

in the ancient Greek translation

of the Old Testament,

the Hebrew Bible,

which was read by early believers.

Sirach 51, 23, 27,

which in turn is alluding

to Isaiah 55, 1 to 3,

which we read in our call to worship,

says this,

draw near to me,

you who are untaught,

and lodge in my school.

Why do you say

you are lacking in these things,

and why are your souls

very thirsty?

I opened my mouth and said,

get these things for yourselves

without money.

Put your neck under the yoke,

and let your souls

receive instruction.

It is to be found close by.

See with your eyes

that I have labored little

and found for myself much rest.

There are clear echoes

of our passage in Matthew 11,

words like to me,

labor, yoke, instruction,

find, rest, soul.

But there's also

a significant difference

between Sirach and Matthew.

In Sirach,

the sage,

the wise man,

invites people

to come under

the yoke of wisdom

from under which

he himself has learned

and found the rest of God.

But Jesus invites people

to come under his yoke.

Take my yoke upon you

and learn from me.

And then Jesus himself

promises rest,

I will give you rest.

In Matthew's gospel,

Jesus is divine wisdom

in himself.

He is the personification,

or rather the incarnation

of divine wisdom,

the word of God.

This audacious claim,

come to me,

and I will give you rest,

sets Jesus apart

from the founders

of every other major religion.

Hinduism teaches

that one must fulfill

the dharma,

one's righteous duty,

in hopes of escaping

the birth and rebirth cycle.

Buddha taught

that one must follow

the noble eightfold path,

cultivate the right view,

the right resolve,

the right speech,

right action,

right effort,

right mindfulness,

and so on,

in order to attain enlightenment

and escape,

be freed from suffering,

escape the cycle of rebirth.

Muhammad thought that one must obey

the five pillars of Islam,

the declaration of faith,

the prayers,

almsgiving,

fasting,

and pilgrimage to Mecca

in order to enter paradise.

But Jesus does not point

to some other path

or way to salvation

like other religious leaders.

He doesn't say,

go that way,

follow that path.

He doesn't point

to some other truth

or teaching,

believe that teaching

that I've taught you

or proclaimed to you,

obey that thing.

No, Jesus points to Himself

and He says,

come to Me.

As He says in John 14, 6,

I am the way

and the truth

and the life.

No one comes to the Father

except through Me.

Jesus does not say,

here or there

you will find the light.

He says,

I am the light of the world.

John 8, 12.

Jesus doesn't say,

there's the door.

That's how you enter

the kingdom of heaven,

paradise.

No, He says,

I am the door.

John 10, 7.

Jesus doesn't say,

you can find life

over here or over there.

No, He says,

I am the resurrection

and the life.

I am.

I am.

I am.

Because Jesus is

the great I am.

The Lord God.

Therefore,

the subject of this invitation

is Jesus Himself.

Come to Me.

Who then are the objects

of this salvation?

Who is this invitation for?

Jesus says,

come to Me.

All who labor

and are heavy laden

and I will give you rest.

Later in Matthew 23,

Matthew 23:4

verse 4,

Jesus pronounces woes

on the Jewish leaders,

the Pharisees

and the scribes.

And He says this,

they tie up

heavy burdens,

hard to bear,

and lay them

on people's shoulders,

but they themselves

are not willing

to move them

with their finger.

These Jewish leaders

practiced their righteousness

before men,

not out of a genuine

obedience to God

or love for God,

but for show,

to be seen by men

and to be praised by men.

They laid heavy

legal burdens

!

They laid heavy

legal burdens

upon the people of God

and were being complicated

by ever mounting prescriptions,

extra prescriptions

and prohibitions

that they invented

that God never put

in His Word.

And when the people of God

began to sink

under the weight,

sink under the weight

of that,

and collapse

under the weight

of that,

they would not lift

a finger

to help them out.

Jesus is speaking

of that burden,

the burden of the law,

the ethical demands

that God's law

has placed upon us.

This interpretation

is confirmed

by Acts 15,

Acts 15:10

verse 10.

When the apostles

and the elders

of the Jerusalem church

are deliberating

what to do

about this influx

of non-Jewish,

Gentile converts

to Christianity,

he says,

some believers

who belong

to the party

of the Pharisees

rose up and said,

it is necessary

to circumcise them

and to order them

to keep the law

of Moses.

But the apostles

and the elders

decide instead

that since God

has made no distinction

between Jews

and Gentiles,

and instead,

He has cleansed

even the Gentiles' hearts

by faith,

and because He

has even given them

of the Holy Spirit,

they say that no such burden

should be placed upon them.

Instead,

they say in Acts 15,

Acts 15:10

verse 10,

now therefore,

why are you putting God

to the test

by placing a yoke

on the neck

of the disciples

that neither our fathers

nor we

have been able

to bear?

But we believe

that we will be saved

through the grace

of the Lord Jesus

just as they will.

The burden

and yoke

are the burden

and yoke

of the law of God.

Do you remember

the Sermon on the Mount,

Matthew 5-7,

which was Jesus'

authoritative exposition

of the law of Moses?

Jesus taught

that even those

who harbor

anger toward

your Christian brother

and sister

is guilty of murder.

Jesus said

not to repay

anyone evil

for evil,

but instead

to turn the other cheek,

to love even

our enemies

and not only

our neighbors.

Sure,

we can stop ourselves

perhaps from

cold-blooded murder,

but what shall we do

about the hatred

and bitterness

that rise up

from within

our own hearts

toward people

who have wronged us?

Jesus said

that anyone

who looks

at a woman

with lustful intent

has already

committed adultery

with her in his heart.

Sure,

maybe we've never

committed adultery,

but if even

a glance,

a lustful glance

is adultery,

who has a chance?

Jesus said

in Matthew 5-48,

you therefore

must be perfect

as your heavenly

father is perfect.

That is

the standard

of God's law.

Perfection.

And all of us

have fallen short.

But here's

the good news.

This invitation

is not for those

who are stout

and broad-shouldered

who can carry

their heavy burdens

!

It's not

that

while nary

breaking a sweat.

no,

this invitation

is not for the strong

and the self-sufficient.

It's for the weak

little

children.

It's for

all

who labor

and are heavy laden.

Isn't that

good news?

Have you,

like me,

felt

felt

on your

shoulders,

on your

back,

the back-breaking

weight

of the perfect

law of God?

Have you

tried

and tried

and tried

again

in your own

strength

and failed

again,

again,

and again?

have you

seen

the

wicked,

hopeless

depravity

of your own

sinful heart?

Have you

seen

the utter

ruin

of your

soul?

Have you

despaired

of your own

righteousness?

Are you

just about

ready to

collapse

under the

weight

of God's

moral demands

to give

up,

to give

up and

bear the

consequence

of sin,

death,

damnation?

Do you

see

that that

is in

fact

what you

and I

deserve?

Then

this

invitation

is for

you.

Come

to me

all,

all

who labor

and are

heavy

laid

and I

will give

you rest.

How

sweet is

our

savior?

And

why does

Jesus issue

such a

gracious

invitation

for sinners

like you

and me?

Jesus

tells us

in verse

29,

take my

yoke upon

you and

learn from

me for

because

that's

the

reason

for

I

am

gentle

and

lowly

in

heart

and

you

will

find

rest

for

your

souls.

19th

century

English

preacher

Charles

Spurgeon

has

noted

in one

of his

many

sermons

on this

passage,

I think

he's

preached

half a

dozen

sermons

or more

on this

passage,

I hope

I get

to do

the

same

in my

life.

he

notes

that

in

all

of

the

four

gospels

Matthew,

Mark,

Luke,

and John

which tell

us about

the person

and work

of Jesus,

this verse

right here

is the

only place

where Jesus

tells us

about what's

in his

own

heart.

And

what's

the heart?

The heart

is the

inner

center

of a

person

from

which

flows

the

springs

of life.

Proverbs

4

23

says

Jesus

says

repeatedly

throughout

Matthew

Matthew

12

34

15

18

15

19

that

all

our

words

and

deeds

all

our

actions

all

our

speech

everything

we do

flow out

of the

abundance

of the

heart.

In other

words,

if you

know a

person's

heart,

you know

them

inside

and out.

You know

what they're

really like.

And you

know what

Jesus'

heart is

like,

what he's

really

like,

at his

very

core,

he says

I am

gentle

and lowly

in heart.

because

Jesus

is so

holy,

because

Jesus

is the

son of

God

to whom

the

father

has

handed

over

all

things,

we

expect

Jesus

to be

harsh

and

haughty

like

sinful

people get

when they're

in positions

of authority,

when they're

better than

us.

we expect

Jesus to

be harsh

and haughty,

we expect

him to

be sore

and severe,

we expect

him to

look at

us up

and down

and

in

disappointment

and

disgust

and say

how pathetic

are you

really?

Is this

the best

you can

do?

I tell

you everything

you have

to do,

A to Z,

and you

still

can't

do it.

You

have

sinned

yet

again.

You've

sinned

so many

times

that I

have

lost

count.

My

patience

is

really

running

thin.

So

get

your

act

together

before

I

put

you

out

of

my

presence.

Isn't

that

how we

sometimes

view

God?

Isn't

that

what

the devil

tells us

God

is

like?

But

praise

be to

God

that

that

is

not

what

Jesus

is

like.

He

says

I

am

gentle

and

lowly

in

heart.

The

word

gentle

occurs

only

three

other

times

in

the

New

Testament.

First

in the

Beatitudes

where

it

is

translated

as

meek.

Blessed

are

the

meek

for

they

shall

inherit

the

earth.

In

Matthew

5

5.

The

meek

seem

like

the last

kind

of

people

who

will

inherit

the

earth

in

our

minds.

Right?

Doesn't

the earth

belong to

the strong?

Doesn't

the earth

belong to

the assertive?

The aggressive?

To those who

seize the

moment and

seize power?

Not

according to

Jesus.

The earth

belongs to

the meek.

To

those who

are willing

to be

overlooked.

To

those who

are willing

to be

downtrodden.

As

they

trust in

and wait

on

the

deliverance

of

God.

God.

The

second

instance

is in

Zechariah's

prophecy

concerning

Jesus

which is

cited

later in

Matthew

Matthew 21:5

21

verse 5

and there

it's

translated

as

humble.

Behold

your

king

is

coming

to

you

humble

and

mounted

on a

donkey.

In

this

context

it

describes

King

Jesus

coming

into

hostile

territory

to

Jerusalem

where

his

detractors

will

frame

him

with

trumped

up

charges

and

crucify

him

unjustly.

But

even

when

he

is

coming

into

this

rebellious

city

instead

of

coming

on

a

mighty

stallion

to

wage

war

against

these

ungrateful

rebels

to

conquer

them

instead

of doing

that

Jesus

comes

on

a

donkey

sauntering

down

the

mountain

in

peace

that's

meekness

third

this

is the

last

instance

of the

word

in

first

Peter

three

four

it's

used

to

describe

godly

woman

whom

God

cherishes

people

women

he says

are

precious

to

him

they're

described

as

having

their

hearts

clothed

with

the

imperishable

beauty

of a

gentle

and

quiet

spirit

that

word

gentle

is the

same

word

meek

humble

if

Jesus

is

meek

in

his

heart

then

he

is

not

irritable

or

easily

exasperated

when we

come to

him

he is

humble

he is

gentle

he has

the

longest

patience

he has

the most

gracious

disposition

he is

the most

understanding

of anyone

we have

ever

known

Jesus

also

described

as

lowly

in

heart

this

is

also

a word

that

sometimes

translates

as

humble

for

example

in

1st

Peter

5

5

which

I

cited

earlier

God

opposes

the

proud

but

gives

grace

to

the

humble

it

refers

to

those

who

are

of

humble

estate

as

Mary

says

in

Luke

152

so

Romans

12

16

commands

us

do

not

be

haughty

but

associate

with

the

lowly

haughty

people

only

hang out

with

the

high

and

the

mighty

but

lowly

people

are

fine

with

being

associated

with

the

lowly

and

Jesus

is

fine

with

being

associated

with

lowly

people

like

us

no

matter

how

far

you

have

sunk

down

in

your

mire

of

sin

Jesus

is

willing

to

go

that

low

to

lift

you

up

take

my

yoke

upon

you

and

learn

from

me

for

I

am

gentle

and

lowly

in

heart

and

you

will

find

rest

for

your

souls

we

should

take

the

yoke

of

Christ

the

yoke

of

learning

because

Jesus

is

gentle

and

lowly

in

heart

that's

how

we

know

that

in

him

we

will

find

rest

for

our

souls

for

he

says

in

verse

30

my

yoke

is

easy

and

my

burden

is

light

a

yoke

is

a

wooden

cross

beam

that

is

laid

upon

an

animal

or

on

a

person

to

help

them

carry

or pull

a

heavier

load

than

they

otherwise

would

be

able

to

without

it

this

is

a

symbol

of

burden

it's

a

symbol

often

of

oppression

of

control

but

wait

didn't

Jesus

say

earlier

in

Matthew

7

13

to

14

enter

by

the

narrow

gate

for

the

gate

is

wide

and

the

way

is

easy

that

leads

to

destruction

and

those

who

enter

by

it

are

many

for

the

gate

is

narrow

and

the

way

is

hard

that

leads

to

life

and

those

who

find

it

are

few

the

way

of

Christ

that

leads

to

eternal

life

is

hard