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: THE ATTRACTIVE CHRISTIAN. Today’s scripture is one of the most familiar, if not the most familiar, invitation Jesus ever gave to wearied sinners and saints alike.  It is His warm invitation to enjoy the rest, peace, and comfort we are created to know and experience. When it comes to this invitation, we are given an insight into the heart of the Lord Jesus like nowhere else in scripture.

In Dane Ortlund’s book Gentle and Lowly, The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers, he wrote concerning the heart of the Lord Jesus and today’s scripture . . .

“We learn much in the four Gospels about Christ’s teaching. We read of His birth, His ministry, and His disciples. We are told of His travels and prayer habits. We find lengthy speeches and repeated objections by His hearers, prompting further teaching. We learn of the way He understood Himself to fulfill the whole Old Testament. And we learn in all four accounts of His unjust arrest and shameful death and astonishing resurrection. Consider the thousands of pages that have been written by theologians over the past two thousand years on all these things. But in only one place – perhaps the most wonderful words ever uttered by human lips – do we hear Jesus Himself open up to us His very heart.”

What do we see is the heart of Jesus?  Surely opposite of the world.  Our Lord proclaims He is gentle, humble, meek, and lowly.  We may actually summarize this description of the heart of Jesus which defines His life in one word – approachable.  Don’t rush past what I just wrote – approachable.  The holy, holy, holy Creator whose beauty is blinding, whose majesty overwhelms, and whose glory consumes everything says to sinful creatures, creatures who deserve His wrath, “Come to Me. I will not reject You.  Don’t fear.  I invite you into My presence.  What you long for, soul rest, is mine to give.  Approach me. I delight in receiving you.”

Is there any truth more staggering and encouraging to our timid and fearful hearts than the approachable of our God who is also our Redeemer?  But there is another application for us beyond encouragement.  It is a challenge, a formidable challenge, but a joyful challenge.

As followers of Jesus, God the Father, by God the Spirit, is making us into the image of God the Son, and a huge part of that image is what He is in today’s scripture – gentle, humble, meek, lowly, and thus approachable.  What about us?  Are we like this Jesus? In our families, neighborhoods, communities, churches, and workplaces?  Do people recognize us as kind and approachable?  Are they comfortable with us?  Are we those types of Christians reflecting Jesus that God uses in the lives of people to reach them for Jesus?

Our greatest influence for Christ will be our likeness to Christ.  That needs repeated often. We need to tell ourselves this truth often.  Spiritually is not measured by activity but conformity.  Strive to be like Jesus. We will know greater joy ourselves and greater impact for Christ in others.

PRAYER: Father, make me as much like Jesus as a human being may be this side of heaven.

REFLECTION:  To be like Jesus is to be the desire and pursuit of every child of God.