Last Sunday, Ray David quoted Matthew 11:29 from Eugene Peterson’s The Message Bible translation.
“Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”
This really stuck with me, so I looked up the passage in context.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” – Matt 11:28-30
I don’t know about you, but this really speaks to me. Who of us aren’t a little tired or worn out? Or feeling well on our way to being burned out?
Jesus gives us a simple, yet life-recovering answer to our weariness problem;
“Come to me.”
It is all too easy to think of our Christianity as one more thing we’ve added to our lives. One more thing to do. But this doesn’t sound like what Jesus is talking about.
“Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Jesus is telling us that walking with Him won’t add another thing to our lives, instead, it will free us from the burdens. It will lighten the load; empower us to live freely. This sounds like a revolutionary way of living and it’s not through doing more, but by living our life together with a person.
“This sounds like a revolutionary way of living and it’s not through doing more, but by living our life together with a person.”
I’ve always loved this line from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer:
“(God), whose service is perfect freedom.”
Service is perfect freedom. Service and freedom don’t like to coexist in our minds. Service sounds like being forced to do something, and how is that freedom? But what if we were created to serve someone and in that service we found ultimate fulfillment because that was what we were made for? This service would be freeing, not constraining. And we have a Good Master – One who invites us to live with Him and calls us His friend and brother. It makes me think of Samwise Gamgee from the Lord of the Rings, who is referred to throughout the book as Frodo’s servant. But it is not a forced service – he serves Frodo out of love and friendship. He just wants to be with him, and dwelling with him brings him fulfillment. It is the same for us and Christ. He is the friend in whose service is perfect freedom.
Learning the Unforced Rhythms of Grace
Ray David said last Sunday that – ‘If you think Christianity is all about trying harder to be a better person, than you don’t yet know Christ… It is not about what you do for God – it is about what God has done for you.’
True, light, freeing service is not forced – it wells up out of a thankful heart. It is like a rhythm that pulsates out of you – unforced and life-renewing. This service, this walking with Jesus, brings you rest. It will recover your life. It will remove your burdens.
The answer to our weariness problem isn’t fundamentally less work. It is learning to work with Jesus; watching how He works.
In the same way, the answer to our weariness isn’t just more rest. It is learning to rest in Jesus. He will ‘show you how to take a real rest’.
Doesn’t the idea of a free, light, and fulfilling life sound attractive? Well, that is what Jesus is promising. For you. For me. We just need to come to Him.
Keeping Company with Jesus
What does coming to Jesus mean? Let’s look at the passage.
“Come to me… Get away with me… Walk with me… Work with me… Keep company with me.”
Clearly coming to Jesus means spending time with him. Acknowledging His presence with us. Taking the time to talk to Him. Realizing that He is with us even when we’re working, and that He might even be able to teach us how to work in a way that doesn’t drain us. How do you keep company with a friend or a spouse? You talk to them. You spend time with them. Jesus is as real as your spouse. I often need reminding of this truth. In fact, He is with you right now as you are reading this article. Take a minute and acknowledge this fact. Talk to Him. Yes, it may seem weird, but Jesus is real and keeping company with Him is why you exist. One day you will see Him with your waking eyes, and that will be a great and glorious day, but the truth is that He is just as much with you now at this very moment. So talk to Him. Listen for His voice.
“One day you will see Him with your waking eyes, and that will be a great and glorious day, but the truth is that He is just as much with you now at this very moment.”
We’ve been talking about being joined together with Christ the last two Sunday’s at St. George’s. And this is part of what Jesus is talking about here in Matthew 11. Being unified with Christ. Living entwined with Him. Keeping company with Him in our inner being.
I am challenged to pray and acknowledge Christ’s presence with me. Not to add another thing to my busy life, but because Jesus promises that it will free me from my weariness problem. It will recover my dwindling life. It will teach me to rest and work well, within the unforced rhythms of grace.
Lord, remind us of your presence around us and in us. Dwell with us. Teach us to come to you and keep company with you. You are the one for whom we were made. And when we walk hand-in-hand with you, we find perfect freedom.
Amen.
