MATTHEW 11:28-30 – 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.”
THEME OF THE DAY: TREATING OTHERS AS JESUS DOES. What do we think of Jesus? I mean really think of Him? I don’t mean His title and roles. We know them – Lord, Savior, High Priest, King of Kings, God, Creator, and many more we may list. No, I am referring to His character, and particularly, His character manifested in how He treats people. And today’s scripture shows us the heart of Jesus that leads to His way of treating people that serves as the model for us.
As we look at the heart of Jesus, we encounter warmth, approachability, and a humility that invites the worst of people to come to Him. It is without a doubt one of the most comforting words our Lord would ever give to a human being suffering the consequences of sin and living a life of misery in the bondage of hopelessness.
What makes this scripture so encouraging is the invitation our Lord gives exempts no one except one type of person; the prideful, self-righteous and self-sufficient person. But if that doesn’t describe any of us, then come, come to Jesus, as we are – broken, downcast, heavy laden with sin and failure. We will be received by the One who treats such humbled people with kindness, gentleness, with no condemnation and no rejection. Should we think of Jesus any other way, harsh, condemning and rejecting, those are lies from the devil. Dismiss them for what they are – fiery darts from the evil one seeking to paint a false picture of our gentle Savior and drive us away from Him, not to Him.
Even though this is a gracious invitation given by our Lord, we must emphasize the criteria to come to Him. The only way we approach Jesus is as we are, as those who labor and are heavy laden. What does this mean? Our Lord’s statement points us to the weariness of life, of sin, of all that is associated with living separated from God and existing “without God” in a world of chaos and confusion. And for those knowing this defines them, they run to Jesus as He invites, commands, and we receive the promised rest! What a Savior and what an invitation!
As we conclude today’s nugget, think on the personal application of how Jesus treats us in relationship with other believers. How we treat fellow Christians reveals the current condition of our walks with the Lord. We are either like Him, kind, gentle, encouraging, and carrying the burdens of others OR completely opposite of Him, harsh, critical, discouraging, and indifferent to carrying the burdens of others. The choice is ours and made daily.
PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for handling me with kindness and gentleness when I deserve neither.”
QUOTE: “As Jesus treats us, let us treat others that need to see Him through us.”
In the affection of Christ Jesus,
Pastor Jim