Today’s passage is Matthew 11:25-30.
Jesus praises his father for acting the way he does, hiding truth and himself except for Jesus and whoever Jesus chooses. Then Jesus calls everyone who is tired and overwhelmed to him for rest by taking his yoke and learning from him.
I don’t think I’m carrying much of a burden but I admit I’m tired, which I figure is the price of life and old age and nothing to get excited about.
My wife, however, is really tired and has been for three years, ever since her car accidents seemed to suck the energy out of her.
Last night she showed me a picture of a sitting place in woods in front of a shallow pond beside a tiny stream.
The deep sigh that escaped me made her look at me in surprise.
It was a picture of the peace I didn’t know my soul desired after yet another confrontation with her brother and my mind weighted with the year ahead of me at school.
Jesus says to exchange my weariness and my burden for his yoke, which he claims is easy and light, if I learn gentleness and how to have a humble heart like him.
Gentleness and a humble heart.
Once again Jesus preaches a change in attitude before a change of life is possible.
I am weary and heavy laden because I’m rough and arrogant.
I can’t have rest for my soul until I can carry Jesus’ yoke, which I can’t do until I learn to be gentle and humble.
How then do I learn to be like Jesus?
Reading Jim Bakker’s book I Was Wrong helped me out here.
Bakker wanted to know how to see everything and everyone through the eyes of Jesus.
To do that, he realized, he had to know every word Jesus said, which meant careful and reflective reading of God’s word.
He had to do QT.
So QT is the key to becoming gentle and humble.
Reading and reflecting on God’s word and making an application that, by God’s grace, will move me a little bit nearer to gentleness and a humble heart and move me a little bit further from anger and arrogance.
