Bernard Mukwavi
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
As human beings we are in search for rest and for meaning in life. However, true meaning and rest are only found in God. The passage we have just read states that, Jesus reveals the Father to the humble thus giving them meaning and purpose in life and he invites the weary to find true rest in Him.
I am reminded of a time when I was sent to start a church at the age of 24. Single and straight from Bible College, I started a small home group with only 7 people. Within a few weeks we were more than 20 people and were now renting a school classroom. I felt pretty good about this growth until one Sunday the church attendance dropped drastically to way, less than 20 people. The room felt empty. I was discouraged. I wanted to make this church grow. I had been working hard. But this day I was so low in spirit that I decided to give up. I felt the pressure to grow the church. It was a huge burden. I remember praying that I would give up being the pastor of this new church and let Jesus become the pastor. I was broken and felt like a failure. The following weekend I had to go to another town to officiate at a wedding and then came back to my town to get ready for the church service the following day. I remembered that I had given this church over to Jesus. The point is I wanted to blame Jesus if this church didn’t take off. I was no longer in charge of it.
We went to church that day and set up everything. Not knowing who would show up I had closed my eyes during pre- service worship and prayer time. It was not me to be embarrassed I reasoned, but Jesus would be. When I opened my eyes, the room was filled with people. I thought to myself, this is what happens when Jesus is the pastor of the church.
We live in a restless world. People are burdened by anxiety, striving, and spiritual weariness. Where can we find true rest for our souls?
In Matthew 11:25–30, Jesus offers the answer to this universal struggle.
“Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.”
**True understanding of God isn’t achieved by intellect or human effort but by humility and dependence. Jesus calls those who had received God’s revelation “little children.”
A child trusts their parent without hesitation. Similarly, we must respond to God with simple, childlike faith. With trust and submission.