Dear Christian friends:

All of you did receive the invitation to our 40th Wedding Anniversary next Sunday. All of you have received other invitations to parties, dinners, weddings and anniversaries. We are always happy to receive an invitation, even if we can't go. We are pleased that someone remembers us and honors us with an invitation.

Here in our text we also have an invitation. Really, this invitation is the most important invitation anyone can receive. It is an invitation from Jesus. If you received an invitation from the President of the USA to come to a dinner at the White House in Washington, D.C., you would feel very glad and important. Well, Jesus' invitation here in our text is more important than that. Jesus is much more important than the President of the USA. So let us attend to this most important invitation and see: 1. Whom Jesus invites and 2. To what He invites.


Whom does Jesus invite? In our text Jesus says, "Come to Me, all you that labor and are heavily loaded."

With these words Jesus is really inviting all people. Really all people are laboring and are heavily loaded. Some are aware of this and know this while others are not so aware. But Jesus wants all people to become aware that they are sinners and have guilt and other problems because of their sins and wrongs.

Does Jesus mean you and me? Yes! Jesus knows that if we are honest in our heart we all must confess with shame our sin and guilt. We are all "laboring and heavenly loaded" with the burden of sin and the many problems that sin and sinners make for us in our lives, our own sins and the sins of others.

AIDS is happening because of people's sin against the Sixth Commandment. In the Sixth Commandment God limits sexual intercourse to a husband and wife in marriage, male with female. But since the sexual revolution people are having many sex partners. People are not obeying God's law. And we all will suffer because of AIDS, also those who do not get it must help take care of those who do and help pay the cost for doctors, hospitals and nurses. AIDS is a good example of how we are laboring and heavily loaded because of our sins.

We all need this invitation and should welcome it! Jesus invites all people to become aware of their sins if they are not aware yet. Jesus invites all people, the "good" and the "bad".

To what does Jesus invite all people? In our text Jesus says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavily loaded, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke, and learn from Me. I am gentle and of humble spirit, and you will find rest for your souls. For the yoke I give you is easy and the Load I put on you is light.”

St. Augustine has said, "Man's heart is restless until it rests in God. Come to Jesus! Jesus gives you peace and rest for your heart and mind because Jesus forgives all your sins and guilt. Jesus takes away the heavy load from your shoulder.

When Jesus said this invitation He had not yet died on the cross. But we know that He has done it. We sign His name by touching the nail scars in the palm of our hands. The deaf person can never forget that Jesus is the One who was nailed on a cross. Every time a deaf person signs Jesus' name he is reminded: "Jesus died for me!"

Jesus suffered our sins and the guilt and punishment of all peoples’ sins. The punishment we deserved, He accepted for us because He loved us so much. Now His Father in heaven can forgive all our sins and free us from the guilt and the punishment. Therefore we have rest and peace with God. Therefore we can forgive those who sin against us and have peace and rest with one another. Jesus says. "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavily loaded, and I will give you rest." Jesus invites us to come and rest in Him.

Jesus also invites you to "take His yoke and learn from Him." (verse 29) Then Jesus adds, "For the yoke I give you is easy and the load is light." (verse 30) Jesus invites us to give Him our hard, heavy load and instead He gives us an easy, light load.

What is this "easy, light load?" What is this "yoke?" It is the same law as before. It is the same Ten Commandments that showed us our sins and condemned us, making us feel guilty and fearing God's punishment. Well, what makes it "easy and light" now? Our heart has been changed. Now we love God because He first loved us and forgave us in Jesus. Now we know He won't punish us when we sin, because of Jesus. Through faith in Jesus, our Savior, we are 100% righteous although we still sin. We are now not under the Law, but under grace. Therefore we love God, and willingly try to obey His Commandments.

Here is a story to help you understand. A farmer's wife was talking to her neighbor friend one afternoon, telling her how happy she was now, living with her second husband. She explained, "I get up with him at 4:00 A.M. and help him milk the cows. Then while he cleans up I go to the house and prepare the breakfast. After breakfast we go out and feed the pigs and the other animals. Then he goes to work in the field and I do the housework. I always have lunch and dinner ready for him when he comes in from the field." The neighbor friend replied, "Well, I am surprised. Before, when you lived with your first husband you did the same things and you complained and complained that he was so strict and mean to you. Now you are doing the same hard work and long hours and now you seem happy to do it. I don't understand." The farmer's wife answered, "My second husband loves me."

Love makes the difference! Now that we know God really loves us in Jesus, we love Him and the burden is easy and light. In Jesus God has changed our hearts and given us a willing, free spirit. We are no more living under the Law with its punishment; now we are living under God's grace and forgiveness in His Son, Jesus Christ.

This is the greatest invitation you can receive. Come to Jesus, all you who labor and are heavily loaded, and He will give you rest. Accept the yoke He gives you and learn from Him. He is gentle and of humble spirit, and you will have rest for your souls. His yoke is easy and His load is light.

Amen.