October 11, 2012 - Thursday of the 18th Week after Trinity
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 9:23 - 10:22; Matthew 11:20-30
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the hymn, “Come Unto Me, Ye Weary” we sing in the first stanza, “Come unto me ye weary, And I will give you rest. O blessed voice of Jesus, which come to hearts oppressed! It tells of benediction, Of pardon, grace, and peace, Of joy that hath no ending, Of love that cannot cease.” This is a delightful explanation as to why Jesus came into the world: to give sinners rest - pardon, grace, and peace!
Jesus came to save sinners. He didn't come to save nice, religious, spiritual, basically well-meaning people. He came to save those who are heavy laden . Jesus Christ does His Christ Jesusing among those who are heavy laden with the guilt of abortion, addiction to pornography, broken families, drugs, racism, homosexuality, or bullying at school.
The Good News is “good” because Jesus came to seek and save all you who labor and are heavy laden by the weight of sin, death, and hell. He didn't come to invite pretend sinners and false saints to come to Him.
Jesus doesn't let it stop at the invitation, “Come to Me...” He follows through with the promise that He will give you rest. What does this mean? It means He binds “rest” to Himself, giving Himself to you as a seal and sign that He is always with you: in the words of the sermon, in the absolution, baptism, and the Lord's Supper. As He Himself assures us, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”
In the rest which Christ Jesus delivers, all you who labor and are heavy laden can confess with the apostle Paul, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." Jesus has taken our burden on Himself—taken it all the way to the Cross. And, best of all, He left it there! It is finished. You are set free to be people of God. And “if the Son has set you free, then you shall be free indeed!” Now, may the pardon, grace, and peace of our LORD Jesus Christ be with you always. Amen.
"And who-so-ever cometh, I will not cast him out.” O patient love of Jesus, Which drives away our doubt, Which, though we be unworthy Of love so great and free, Invites us very sinners To come, dear Lord, to Thee! (LSB 684:4)
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