Come, All You Worn Out, Weary Laborers

Who knows for certain where dreams come from or why they have the content they have? I sure don't (even though I suspect pan fried tilapia coated with flour and Emeril's Original Essence at 9:00 PM could have something to do with it.) Last night I had the stupidest dream. I don't remember it, I just remember how dumb it was, silly, nonsensical.

I've been having a lot of dreams like that lately. I wake up early, between 4 and 5 o'clock not really remembering the details, just a lingering impression that these dreams made less sense than a prime time comedy sitcom. They have had two good side effects though. They're waking me up early and each time I've awakened from one in the last week or so (so far), I've awakened with a specific Scripture in mind that I have not been thinking about previously.

This morning's verses were Matthew 11:28-30. Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, andyou will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Some mornings I've gotten up and spent a couple hours pondering the verses. This morning I stayed in bed and laid there thinking. I have stopped wondering, "Why this verse?" and have started focusing on the content of these words themselves.

It is interesting to me that Jesus' words here are both an invitation and a command. So often we interpret invitations as having a built in rejection button, kind of like the end user license agreements on software packages: if you don't agree simply click "decline" and you have no further obligation. Jesus' words don't seem to carry an "if." Come! he says. Yes, you are welcome to get off your duff and get moving. You're weary. You're burdened. Make a bit more effort and do something about it. Come.

But how? That's the question I always ask. When Jesus is speaking to the people who surrounded him, they could make arrangements, pack their bags and take a walk with him. He was right there for them to see and touch and follow. How do I come to him now, when he's in heaven, invisible, not physically here? I'm weary. It's hard to keep the faith sometimes. But how do I come to Jesus now?

It's probably the preacher in me, but I think there are three ways plus one we come to Jesus. I think three happen simultaneously and one rightly follows the others, but I also think we can talk about them separately.

First, we come to Jesus by faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

I saw a PowerPoint presentation the other night that included slides of people praying at a Shinto shrine in Japan. The presenter said that those who are there praying have no idea if there is anyone out there hearing,and they have little expectation to receive anything in relation to their prayer. Praying is merely ritual that must be followed. No faith is involved. How different is our relationship with Almighty God who sent His Son to die on the cross for us, so that by faith in him we may be certain that our prayers are heard and will be answered. We approach God in faith, certain of what we do not see, certain that he exists, that his "eyes are upon the righteous and his ear is inclined to their prayer."

We come to God in faith. We also come to God in humility, leaving false pride at the door. God "rewards those who earnestly seek him." I find it hard to understand Christians who think that acknowledging God's goodness and his promises to them is sin. These are Christians who proudly decline to ask God for his blessing because to ask anything for themselves is "prideful." Brethren, to refuse to open our hearts and lives to all God has to offer his children is to present ourselves as knowing better than God, being more humble than God, more righteous than God. Is our refusal to accept what God so graciously offers not a greater expression of pride than opening our hands and hearts and receiving with thanksgiving what is so lovingly offered? This preference for "my duty to obey" over God's delight in giving to us is surely not less than sin.

God rewards those who "earnestly seek him" with himself. He gives his Spirit to us. The Spirit of God invests in God's people the full measure of God's life and grace and goodness and compassion. The power that enabled Jesus' sinless life, the authoritative teaching, the miracles, the devotion, the obedience, these all come through the Holy Spirit who is himself given by God to those who earnestly seek God as an act of faith. Come to Jesus by faith, find Jesus by faith.

As we come to Jesus by faith we will also be coming to him in obedience. Come is a command. So are "take up" and "learn." To take his yoke is to join him in relationship and mission. To learn of him is to invest our time and energy in discovery of his person. I remember my first real date with my wife. We went on a harbor cruise in Norfolk, VA. I asked question after question trying to discover whatever I could about her (including what I would need to know to get a second date!) In our conversation, I asked questions and I waited for answers. I probed her answers with more questions. I couldn't get enough of her and the insights she was giving into her heart.

Learning Jesus is not so drastically different. We learn him through the word, through prayer, and through service. The Bible gives us the concepts about Jesus. Prayer provides the personal conviction that what we have learned is true. Service / ministry demonstrates our consecration to the One we have learned the truth about, the One who is True.

Faith and obedience should create expectation, the third way we come to Jesus. he described his "yoke" as easy and his "burden" as light. We should expect that our experience will conform to his revelation. We come to Jesus expecting him to make it easy to know him, easy to love him, easy to relate to him. If we come some other way, without this expectation, or with a different expectation, then we are approaching on our terms rather than his and are not really "coming" to him at all.

That's three ways we come to Jesus. The "plus one" is praise. Jesus opens this invitation to come to him with a prayer of praise to God. I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and have revealed them to little children. Praise God for opening the way for us to "come to Jesus" and find rest, and for making it so simple, a child can do it.

Alright, all you worn out, weary laborers. Come to Jesus in faith, in obedience, in expectation and with praise. Simple. Come.