Whenever I see on TV or internet images of priests and their church, it is easy to tell who a member is and who is a priest. The people who are wearing your typical formal wear are always the regular folks and the people wearing full robes are likely the priests. If spirituality can be measured by the way you dress, what item you hold, how you stand, or your knowledge of the worship rituals, then can it be considered spirituality?
It was so among Scribes and Pharisees in the time of Jesus. Religiosity to them was purely defined by technical observance of the law but they had completely missed the purpose and spirit of the law that God desired (2 Cor 3:6). In order to implicitly show their higher spirituality to others, they make their phylacteries broad, enlarge the borders of their garment, stand in the best places at feasts, sit in the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces and be called Rabbi (Mat 23:5-7). While they do these religious practices out of a self-conceited motive, they also bind heavy burdens hard to bear and lay them on men’s shoulders, so that people can’t live up to their standard. But all the while, they themselves do not actually practice what they preach apart from their superficial gestures (Mat 23:4).
While the Pharisees saw themselves as more spiritual compared to others (Luke 18:9-14), it is rather people like them, wise and prudent in their own eyes, that cannot see God (Mat 11:25). And the knowledge of the Son of God is instead revealed to babes, whose hearts are humble. So, the ‘religious’ people don’t know God, and the sinners and tax collectors who are humble are instead justified by God (Luke 18:9-14)
It was under this religious burden that Jesus said
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mat 11:28)
The Lord Jesus is calling to all those who labor and are heavy-laden by religious observances imposed on them by the Scribes and Pharisees (Mat 23:2) to come to Him to receive rest. This rest does not come from only focusing on the technicalities of religious worship but neglect the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith (Mat 23:23).
Likewise, if our faith feels like a heavy burden instead of restful, then perhaps we too have neglected the weightier matters of the law and merely do religious things out of obligation. We could continue to go to church as a habit without worshiping God; we could offer tithe without giving thanks to God; we could serve God by our abilities without working with the Holy Spirit. Then after a prolonged period, our pursuit of God would eventually feel like a heavy burden and slowly our heart becomes hard and restless. We would not know how to correct our faith though, if we thought we are doing all the “right” things.
The Lord Jesus offers us the answer:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Mat 11:28-30
Here the Lord Jesus gives us two directions on how we can receive true rest for our souls: take His yoke and learn from Him.
Take His yoke
A yoke is a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the neck of two animals and attached to a plow or cart that they are to pull. Typically, a yoke is heavy and hard to pull because of the arduous labour involved in plowing the field. But Jesus says that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light (Mat 11:30).
Whereas in the past, people were under the burden of the law because they had to do it all by themselves and they could not possibly do it all, but now following the commandments of God is no longer burdensome (1 John 5:3) because we now can be empowered by the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:16-18) to do what is pleasing to God. This strength doesn’t come from ourselves, but Jesus Christ who helps us through the Holy Spirit. Our part is to choose to take His yoke, to surrender ourselves to Him and be willing to be led by His Spirit.
Whereas in the past, our faith feels more like a restriction of many ‘do nots”: do not work on the Sabbath, do not indulge in sinful pleasures, do not love the world. But when we’re able to spend quality time to pray and be filled with the Holy Spirit, we’ll instead find that His commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3) and we’ll find that obeying God is our greatest joy and pleasure (Psalm 37:4). And as we’re walking in the Spirit and bear fruit of the Spirit, the people around us can enjoy our good fruits. Then our lives, whereas in the past could be a dry wilderness that was lifeless, could now be a fruitful field (Isa 32:15).
Learn from Him
People generally believe that relief comes from external abundance, such as in the case of the rich fool who said to himself “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” (Luke 12:19). But the truth is that the more we pursue material abundance, the more our heart grows restless. The fact is wealth doesn’t offer security since it can fly away in an instant. As said in Proverbs, “For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.” (Pro 23:5). By creation, our hearts were made to be filled by God alone (Isa 43:21).
Instead of the false sense of rest offered by material possessions, the second instruction from the Lord Jesus that teaches us on how to receive true rest is to learn from Him. His gentleness and lowliness in heart (Mat 10:29) is what we should imitate after in order to receive rest. This heart of gentleness and humility is a result of fully trusting in God with our all, just as the imagery described in Psalm 131:
Lord, my heart is not haughty,
Nor my eyes lofty.
Neither do I concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too profound for me.
Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
From this time forth and forever.
It’s when we’re able to humble ourselves before God and trust in Him as a child that we can enjoy true rest. Our heart will no longer be lofty to trust in ourselves then. We will not concern ourselves with things not meant for us, and instead we can simply trust in the Lord Jesus knowing He knows what is best for us.
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