Weary

Matthew 11:28 NIV: “Come unto me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”

Indeed, this verse resonates across time, seasons, culture, age, or gender. Who of us has not found ourselves weary or heavy-laden at times. The Greek word for weary here is to feel fatigued, to work hard, labor, toil, and be wearied. A note in the definition states this is bodily or mental labor alike. Some days, for me, the weariness is less in physical exertion and more mental exertion as I cycle through schedules, future plans for my kids, bills, health questions, and grief. Add to that this season of politics, economics, and social schisms, and the mental fatigue is REAL!

The second word, ‘heavy-laden,’ is the Greek word phortizo, which means to overload and cause someone to be weighted down. I wanted to pack my subject in the piece and overload him with many things I mentioned that mentally exhausted me. But also, I tried to allude to jobs, education, technology, relationships, etc.

In the context in which this was written, Jesus is referring specifically to the burden of religious laws that the Jews struggled to obey. Intended initially to protect and provide for God’s people, the law had become an idol to some and an impossible weight to carry for others.

In the same way, often, what makes us weary and bogged down is not something inherently bad. We need jobs, relationships, dreams, and schedules.

Instead, the load becomes unbearable when we carry it alone.

Jesus offers rest, as in ceasing from labor, toil, and mental gymnastics, to regain strength and be refreshed. When we come, release, and surrender things to him, he works in many ways to give rest. Sometimes, people come into our lives to share the load; other times, situations radically change, and still, other times, nothing seems to externally change except our perspective as we are internally transformed.

Take a minute to contemplate the piece. What are you hefting up the mountain that God wants you to set down? When you look at that bed, how have you seen God grant rest in a past situation?