Dear Christian friends:

In "Children's Letters to God" we read this letter from a boy named Sherman: "Dear God, When you started the earth and put people there and all the animals and grass and the stars did you get very tired? I have a lot of other questions too. Very truly yours"

We know from the Bible that God did rest on the seventh day, which He called "The Sabbath," which means rest. While God himself does not get tired and needs no rest, He did rest for our sake. He knew that we, with our human limitations, would need at least one day in 7 for resting.

While we humans need rest from our physical and mental labors, we also very much need another kind of rest, even more important. In our text, which is the Gospel Lesson for today, Jesus presents Himself as the giver of this rest.

I. Here in our text Jesus presents Himself as the very Son of God who gives rest to the "weary and burdened." He says, "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. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (vv. 27-28)

A. Jesus is the Son of God, to whom the Father in heaven has committed all things. He, therefore, is very well able to give the weary and burdened all the benefits they need. He has the unlimited resources of God to do whatever is called for. The Father, who is Lord of heaven and earth, shares all with Jesus the Son since they have this unique communion with each other.

B. Jesus reveals the Father and His attitude toward us. He is the only one able to do this because of His communion with the Father and His intimate knowledge of the Father.

1. We hear from the media that people today are frantically searching for God, and from what I hear and read most are headed the wrong way and ending up on dead end streets. If they would only go to Jesus Christ and His word in the Bible their search would be happily ended.

2. What Jesus reveals is the boundless mercy of God. He said to the searching rabbi, Nicodemus: "God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) This is what frantic searchers of God are really aching to hear and they don't know it.

3. Jesus also reveals God's will to extend the blessed communion of Father and Son to us lost sinners. John writes in his first letter: "We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship, (communion,) with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:3) Wow! What a statement! Somehow we ought to include this concept in the mission statements of our congregations. For example: "Here at Immanuel First Lutheran we proclaim the Gospel so that you may have fellowship with us. And really and truly our fellowship is with God the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ." If you the members would sincerely adopt such a mission statement and really practice it, you would have people flocking in here in droves!

C. To the weary and burdened who believe His revelations Jesus gives perfect rest. What is this unique rest?

1. It is the forgiveness of sins, a rest from our trying to win salvation by our own works or by deception and hypocrisy. Now we don't have to worry and wonder if we have done enough to satisfy God. We don't have to hide our sin anymore from God or from each other. We don't have to make lame excuses for our failures and shortcomings. All we have to do is confess that we are "poor, miserable sinners" and cast ourselves on the grace and mercy of God in Jesus Christ, who lived for us, died for us and then arose from death on Easter Day! The Bible assures us of this blessed rest, saying, "There remains, then a Sabbath - rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his." (Hebrews:9-10)

2. It is also a rest of refreshment and renewal so that we might do His work, serving our dear Redeemer. The life of following Jesus through this wicked and doomed world is, Jesus tells us, an easy and pleasant yoke to bear. True, it is not free of difficulties and hardships, but it is animated and supported by our faith which overcomes the world and cheerfully bears a cross for Jesus' sake. The Lord calls it an "easy yoke" in contrast to the oppressive "yoke of the Law," which we cannot keep and which condemns us. He calls it a "light burden" in contrast to the burdens of those weary from sin and guilt.

Transition: Lest we find this hard to believe and practice Jesus in our text presents Himself as the perfect example of faith and life, our mentor.

II. We learn from Him who is gentle and humble in heart. He says here, "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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (vv. 29-30)

A. Jesus, the Son of God obeyed the will of the Father who sent Him from heaven to earth to save us.

1. In his human form Jesus humbly submitted to His Father's good and gracious will. On the night before He was crucified He prayed in the Garden, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)

2. Consequently He bore His sufferings without complaint or retaliation. Peter tells us "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate, when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." (1 Peter 2:23) And Isaiah adds, "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter and as sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." (Is. 53:7) All this gives us assurance that He earnestly wants us to come to Him so that we may receive His blessed rest and easy yoke.

B. By His humbleness of heart He has shown us the way by which we come to Him and His Father.

1. Adapting it to our own situation, we are to confess humbly that we need the gift of mercy and the Savior God has sent. The intellect of the "wise and learned" who are without faith does not use this humbling way and in pride refuse to come. (v. 25) They were those who were offended at Him (v. 6) and unrepented (vv. 21-24) Only by becoming humble like little children can we receive Jesus revelations and His wonderful rest and easy yoke. Jesus thanked His heavenly Father because it was the Father's good pleasure to deal with all mankind on the basis of mercy and grace. (v. 25-26) Thus Jesus gives us a beautiful example of how we come to Him and the Father, His own humbleness.

C. He also has given us an example for our yoke - bearing and service.

1. He wants us to have the same attitude He had. St. Paul reminds us of this when he writes: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death." (Phil 2:5-8)

2. Not only does He give us a beautiful example, but He also transforms us through His Word and the Sacraments to actually be like Him. Paul says, "And we, _ _ _, are being transformed into His likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:18)

Marion Preminger was born in Hungary in 1913. She grew up in a wealthy family and was surrounded by maids, tutors, butlers and chauffeurs. She attended school in Vienna and at 18 married the son of a doctor. The marriage broke up after a year.

She remained in Vienna and became an actress. Shortly thereafter she married Otto Preminger, a young German movie director. Before long they moved to Hollywood where she was caught up in the excitement of "Tinsel Town." However, this marriage also ended in a divorce.

Marion moved then to Paris, and lived the life of a socialite, but was unhappy. She carried a heavy burden in her heart and she longed for a peace of mind that she could not find. In 1948 she met Albert Schweitzer as he toured Europe giving organ concerts to raise money for his hospital in Lambarene, Africa. She was so moved and impressed by Schweitzer that she decided to go to Lambarene and work in his hospital.

This wealthy socialite who had been raised like a princess, now became a servant. She changed bandages, bathed dirty bodies and fed lepers. However, she now felt that her burden was lifted and she found peace and rest within her soul. When she wrote her autobiography, she entitled it, "All I Want Is Everything." Of course, she did not get everything, but she found those things which really mattered. (Emphasis, July 1987)

Those who come to Jesus, the giver of rest, also find the things that really matter, His easy yoke and His light burden. May God give us the grace and faith to come to Jesus.

Amen