Partnering with Jesus
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me all you how are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.’” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Most Christians are familiar with these verses. Probably the most common takeaway is the idea of Jesus giving us rest when we partner with him. While this is wholly true and a fact we can rely upon with certainty, the second half of what Jesus says here often gets missed.
We still wear a yoke. In other words, we still have activity we need to do.
Partnering with Jesus is not about sitting back and doing nothing. It’s not about just relaxing and being restful. Sometimes it is about those things, but often it’s also about being guided and taught by him.
Active Rest
Jesus lightens our burdens and at the same time leads and teaches us to a better way of living. In a sense, he is advocating for active resting.
So, Matthew 11:28-30 encourages us to get to Jesus and to partner with him. It also says to let Jesus teach us. In this activity, we find rest because Jesus is showing us a better way to live. This rest is not just a physical rest, which is necessary too. It’s a deep rest — a soul rest — that penetrates and recharges like nothing else can.
