Rest is often elusive in a world that lives from paycheck to paycheck. We chase after jobs, deadlines, ambitions, relationships, and bucket lists, only to find ourselves exhausted and yearning for something more. And yet, nestled within the Scripture is a profound invitation that promises what our souls desperately seek: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
These words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28 are not just a gentle call to the weary; they are a definitive answer to who Jesus isHe is our Sabbath, our ultimate and eternal rest, a comforting refuge for our weary hearts.
Rest in Our Works?
Many people who had witnessed Jesus heard chatters of his works. The disciples of John the Baptist, for example, weary from their master’s suffering in prison, came to Jesus to ask: Are you indeed the Christ?
Their question wasn’t simple curiosity or a mere thirst for knowledge; it was a desperate desire for divine affirmation. It’s akin to thirsting for redemption, tucking our tails in the pain of disappointment or the chaos of being unsettled, and seeking peace at a crossroads.
It could be like living in countries such as my homeland, Nigeria, where you are unsure what the price of food will be the next morning. It could be the worry of a soul seeking peace in a world seeking power or a teenager seeking love and acceptance in a world seeking lust. The question could also be a deeper desire to find ourselves, to know ourselves, and to find within the eternal Sabbath we seek.
Despite our best efforts to find peace in vacations, hobbies, relationships, or even a good night’s sleep, proper rest many times eludes us. As natural seekers, we need answers that are born, not acquired. But what if we’ve been looking in the wrong places or approaching rest in a limiting way?
Jesus as the Personification of Rest
John the Baptist’s disciples provide a case for reflection as their inquiry sets the stage for Jesus’ conversation on rest (Matthew 11:2-24). They, like John, were beginning to be unsure. Why?
Wouldn’t the Messiah take John out of prison and bring justice to Herod? They might have thought this way; I would if I were them.
There is something that seeks understanding in our frustrations. Our immediate needs for security, food, freedom from political and social injustices, and abusive relationships might tend to paint a blurry or truncated picture of God for us. Yes, God is the Savior. But making Him this or that kind of savior makes Him less of God and more of us.
God is not a kind of savior. He is not this or that kind of savior. God in Christ is the Savior. Other types of saviors draw from Him, who is the Savior, and His outpouringgracebrings the fullness of life and freedom, not this kind or that kind of life and freedom. For life is His gift, and this gift transcends biology.
As always, Jesus’ answer to the questioning heart is profound, a deep well of wisdom: “Tell John what you see and hear.” Then comes the list of miracles and the garland of redeeming words being communicated to the people thirsting for the Divine Word. Among the words include loving lessons on avoiding doubt and embracing repentance and faith (Matthew 11:7-24).
Jesus’ Relationship with the Father
Next is His communication about His relationship with the Father, which came as a prayer to the Father. Prayer is the closest of humans’ sentiments to penetrate divine rest. “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” (Matthew 11:27).
So, the seeker would know that Jesus is the Messiah. He is not the political Messiah. Instead, He is the Holy One who shares equality with His Father, who has handed everything to Him, the Son. Revealing the Father comes through and in Him, for He (the Son) chooses to reveal or not to reveal the Father.
The audience listening to Jesus had grown with many wrong ideas about God, just like many of us have. They and many of us assume we come to know God when we work our way to itfast, pray, give alms, be ethical, act justly, and be good people. We realize that the more we search about our seeking, the dimmer our realization of God, who invites us to come.
Jesus’ call to “Come to me” and His claim “I give you rest” is more than an offer; it’s a declaration of His identity and a revelation of His grace, a testament to the boundless love and mercy of our Creator. He reveals in Himself the very identity from the creation, that God, having created, rested from the work. God does not rest because of the work; rest follows acceptance of His will. When all in the creation order is complete, rest comes.
Rest is Life in Christ
For the creature that fits the work process in time, the Sabbath is found in the very being (God) in whom humanity and history become. In other words, Jesus’ revelation is that all our works to find and know Him without allowing ourselves in humility for Him to reveal Himself to us make rest impossible.
Genesis 2:2-3 makes this claim vivid. God, as the Creator, is the one who sets an example of rest, sanctifying the Sabbath. He gives laws, the realization of which is rest at the consummation, the day when all the work is complete. Exodus 20:8-11 alludes to this fact. So does Exodus 33:14: “The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'”
In a sense, rest is not beside Him or around Him. It is in Him, within His bosom, and His Word that utters it, which makes it real on earth. His rest-bearing Word settles like a land, fully rooted, having been built on a solid foundation. He is this foundation as well as the builder. Jesus’ parable of the Word that bears fruit demonstrates the power that brings rest to life, completion, and growth from within (Matthew 13:23).
Rest and the Kingdom
The idea of a kingdom brings this to life. In the kingdom, one can rest, much so if the kingdom is that of God, who reigns over allthe Lord, whose Word is “spirit and life” (John 6:63).
Deuteronomy 12:10 alludes to the stability of the assurance: “But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and He will give you rest from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety.” Thus, Scripture hints the idea of God as the deliverer, the savior who grants rest from enemies and provides a secure home. Joshua 21:44a correlates: “The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their ancestors.”
Rest is Divine Shepherding that Endures
Psalm 23:1-3 echoes the message: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack Nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.” Psalm 62:1-2 supports: “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him. Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I will never be shaken.”
Thus, when the Blessed Lord says, “I will give you rest,” He isn’t talking about the temporary relief we get from a weekend off or a brief respite. He offers something more profoundsoul-level rest that transcends our circumstances. He is offering life in abundance. Indeed, He is offering Himself, for He alone is the eternal rest. As Saint Augustine writes in his Confessions: “Our soul cannot rest unless in Him.” And Saint Catherine of Siena echoes in her Dialogue: Our satisfaction comes from the One above who we seek.
The Assurance of Rest in Jesus
In Judaism, the Sabbath is a day set aside for rest and worship, a time to cease labor and focus on God. In our Christian traditions, Sunday is the Day of the Lord, our ecclesial earthly Sabbath day. It’s a beautiful tradition that points to a greater realityJesus Himself. He embodies the essence of what the Sabbath is meant to be. In Him, we find the cessation of striving, the end of our spiritual labor, and the beginning of a relationship that fulfills and sustains us to eternity.
What sets Jesus apart from other sources of rest is the surety of His promise, and the life every Word that comes from Him gives. He is Truth. He doesn’t offer rest as a possibility; He guarantees it.
The guaranteed promise is rooted in His divine nature and unwavering commitment to those who come to Him. Unlike the fleeting comforts of this world, the rest Jesus provides is anchored in His unchanging character and boundless love.
When we approach Jesus, we are not just coming to a teacher or a healer. We are not coming to an idea, a concept, or a social movement that guarantees rest. As theologian, Romano Guardini beautifully captures in his The Lord, “God is not a concept, an idea, a feeling, a sociological need. God is real and absolute reality.”
We are coming to the very source of all rest. We are being invited to the inner life of real and absolute reality. He is the Lord and God.
Invitation to Rest
Christ’s invitation to lay our burdens at His feet means we no longer have to carry the weight of our doubts, anxieties, failures, broken relationships, and expectations alone. The weight of our burden would crush us. We do not need to hold on to that pain and burden.
Instead, hands off while settling in on the palms of the Blessed Lord. His yoke is easy and his burden is light (Matthew 11:30). Nothing is easier than resting in the divine palms of grace. No burden is lighter than that of Divine Love, whose caresses shape and transform us into our truest selvesdivine intimacy.
In conclusion, embracing Jesus the Lord is our rest in a culture glorifying hustle and productivity. His call to “Come to me” is an invitation to step away from the relentless demands of life and find sanctuary in His presence. When we accept His invitation, we discover that rest is not merely an activity but a personJesus Christ. It is God pouring His life and love, and we are safe in His embrace.
Do you feel tired of the endless work cycle and worry? Heed the Lord’s invitation. In Him, you will find the rest your soul longs for. “I thirst” (John 19:28). My response: Here I am, to embrace your will by your grace. For your will is assurance of rest.