Message

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Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened

 

Matthew 11:1-30

Key Verse : Matthew 11:28

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

  Today, let's think of burdens which we are carrying during our whole life. There are lots of burdens such as death of loved ones, moving to a new apartment or house, starting a new job, finding a new job, taking care of children, financial budget, paying bills, or sickness and so on. Actually, all of us are caring at least one burden. There is no one who doesn't have a burden. Then, how did you carry your burdens?  Today, we are going to hear how we can carry our burdens lightly.

First Jesus and John the Baptist

  Let's us look at verse 2. " When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples" Who was John the Baptist? He prepared the way of Messiah, Jesus, testifying Jesus is the lamb of God.  He made many sinners repent and return to God. He was the real sound and shepherd who cared and protected God's flock of sheep against oppressors and the evil king. However, he was put into jail despite of his innocent and righteous life. At the last moment of his life, he would have wondered he really did well for his mission before God which was preparing the way of Messiah. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?" But what about Jesus' response to John's question? Look at verse 4 to 6.

"Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

Jesus answered John's disciples facts which revealed obviously to the world no matter what situation John the Baptist had. So what were the objective and obvious occurrences and evidences which showed Jesus is the Messiah? Look at verse 5,6 again. "The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the good news is proclaimed to the poor." John the Baptist might have felt that even he struggled to change the world under oppression of evil king and evil world, he could not change it. He might have been disappointed to his present situation that nothing looked like changed against the oppression and evil situation in the world. But Jesus changed the world. Jesus freed all oppressed people under incurable diseases such as blindness, and paralysis, and deaf. Even Jesus freed all people from the power of death to which even evil powerful oppressor king could not but surrender. "the dead are raised" Jesus is the real Messiah who released all chains of oppression, the power of sins and death.

This world looks like only beneficial only to the rich. In addition, the good news looks like first handed into the rich far from the poor. But Jesus cared the poor and proclaimed the good news to the poor. It showed Jesus is the real Messiah who is real shepherd and savior of not only the rich but also the poor. And then, even John the Baptist was going to die and disappeared from the memory of people, Jesus didn't forget him. Rather Jesus spoke John was the worthy and greatest man among those born of women. Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist;; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.....And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come."

  Like John the Baptist, while we are living as evangelists in this world to sacrifice our whole life for sake of Jesus, we may experience unexpected things such as rejection, persecution, and, moreover, our labor looks in vain to change this world. While you are receiving those sufferings and pain, we may have uncertain feeling to Jesus asking "Is Jesus really the one to sacrifice my everything despite of their rejection and persecution regardless of good purpose for them?" "Does Jesus exist?" "Does Jesus care for me?" "Can Jesus really change the world?" Does Jesus remember me?" But, when we are having something like doubt, we must remember that as if we cannot hide the sun by the palm of our hand, the truth that Jesus is the son of God and Messiah who died on the cross for our sins and his tomb was empty as he rose again from the dead after three days since he was buried cannot be changed or voided by our situation and this corrupt wicked world. Also, as if Jesus remembered John and recognized him as the greatest man in the whole history, Jesus never forget those who sacrifice our lives and are suffering for him. Jesus remember them and give them recognition and reward to them saying "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!" (Matthew 25:21) Also Jesus promised those believers who are following Jesus and living for Jesus would be more greater than John the Baptist in the kingdom of heaven since he never forget and remember their labor and sacrifice for the account of Jesus.

Second I will give you rest

  Even John the Baptist tried to awaken people proclaiming the Messiah came and proclaimed the repentance of their sins before God's judgment, people didn't hear and accept him indifferently. At that time, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum people watched Jesus' miracles so many times, but they didn't turn to Jesus. Why?  How did Jesus compare this generation? Verse 16, 17.

"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: “‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’" According to Jesus' parable, why didn't people accept Jesus and react Jesus? At that time of Jesus, there was a children's game which played like wedding game or funeral game. When children played the pipe, children pretended to dance since it was like wedding. But suddenly when children sang a dirge, they had to mourn. But at that time, children played the pipe, they didn't dance as well as they didn't mourn while they sang a dirge. Why did they do like this?

  First of all, they indulged to the world, so then they could not but be indifferent to spiritual things. The world has lots of fun and looks like satisfying our soul and body giving pleasure as well as wealth and sexual pleasure more than spiritual satisfaction. So many people indulge to this world. However, what is the result of their indulgence to this world. Let me look at Ephesians 4:18,19. "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed." As a result of indulgence to the world, they became more and more senseless about what they are doing and what result they would have. And then, they gave themselves over to sensuality of sexual desire. As they indulged to the world and physical pleasure, did they satisfy themselves? No way. 1 John 2:16 in New Living Translation second version says, "For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions." Also John 4: 13 says, "“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again." The final result of their indulgence to this world and seeking for their pleasure was nothing. Their seeking for their pleasure was not satisfactory, but only left a craving which means only a powerful desire for their endless pleasure.  The more they indulge to the world and pleasure, the more they are thirsty. The final result left in their body is emptiness. They became a slave of addiction and slave of sinful nature. What is the final destination of their sin seeking life? Galatians 6:8 says, "The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction." Their final station is burning sulfur of hell. They are like drowning people who is deeply sinking without knowing it and they are taking the sins on their shoulder which nobody can be responsible and take. Even though they want to talk with someone for getting out of their problem which is locked in the additive, empty, lonely, sinful, and slavery life which they cannot solve by themselves, no one can concern on you and can save you from your deep problem.

  However there is one man who wants to care for you and talk with you. It is Jesus who came to this world leaving his heavenly kingdom for sinners like us.

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened." (Matthew 11:28)

When you are feeling to drown without any help lonely in your life, come to Jesus who is our life guard walking on water. And open to Jesus who knocks the door to talk with us and to eagerly want to take your burden as being with us.

  Second of all, why people didn't react to Jesus was because they were too busy to react on spiritual things. These days, everyone is so busy and competitive to survive their lives in this jungle world. Someone may have so exhausted and burdened to carry his job searching. Someone may have so burdened to adjust to new job. Someone may have so burdened to pay the credit debt or student loan. Someone may have so burdened to solve the sickness. Someone may have so burdened to solve the children's education problem. There is no one who doesn't have a burden. Have you ever thought of why American people call the place to solve the excretion of the body in the public building "Restroom"? Because American are so busy and cannot find deep rest even in working place and even in home, they want to take rest when they go to restroom without interruption from others. However, even though they take one hour in the restroom, they cannot take real rest. Then people have to bring their burdens to Jesus. But in this modern time, people don't come to Jesus. People don't attend to the church and don't believe Jesus.  Why? At Jesus' time, even though Galilean people watched so many miracles from Jesus, they didn't turn to Jesus since they just thought Jesus as a neighborhood and a prophet as just a man.

  Likewise, people have their own fixed mindset despite it is wrong. Some people intend to suffer with their crooked and fixed mindset. Most of their wrong fixed mindset may be influenced by their family background or their wrong experience. For example, when I was young, my father left my family so long time. Only my mom and my brother and sisters should survive in remote country side without my father. So I misunderstood that we didn't have our father. So I had to survive without help of my father and support my mother in fearful remote country even when my age was 10 years old. Since my father was absent when I needed a help from him, I had wrong fixed idea that there is no man who cares of me except myself and there is no one whom I could ask the help of taking over my burden to share, and I am alone in this world. So when I prepared this message, I found that even though there is Jesus who wants to take over my burdens, and give me rest, I still don't want to take over and share my burdens with Jesus, but keep my burdens on my shoulder foolishly since I had wrong fixed mindset that I believe that I don't have anyone to take over my burdens trustfully, but I have to take my burdens only by myself since I am alone. I still keep taking my burdens and become so burdened even I can take over my burdens to Jesus.  Like me, we fix our mindset with wrong idea and bad experience. So then, people don't take over their burdens and problems with Jesus since they have wrong fixed mindset that there is no one to take over their burdens, and all of us are alone and selfish to concern on others. But Jesus is not whom we suppose or experienced in our memory. Jesus never disappoints us. Jesus never leaves you when we ask him for help. Jesus never abandons you. Jesus loves you forever sacrificing his whole life.  Jesus takes care of you to the end responsibly not different from irresponsible people. Even though only you are one left in this world, Jesus would come to you to save you and die for you.

Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Jesus really wants to take your burden and bear your weakness and sickness. And then how can we take off our heavy burdens?

  First of all, we have to take off our own burdens such as our sins and our own wrong doings and our wrong mindset. And then we need to take another yoke. What? Do we have to take another yoke? Yes, you need to take another yoke. It is not your yoke, but Jesus' yoke. Jesus said, "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.” If you don't want to take Jesus' yoke and learn from Jesus, you must take your own yoke. It is sin yoke, and your wrong mindset which leads you crooked and lonely life. If we take our own yoke, it is so heavy since our yoke is so heavy and unsatisfactory to our greed, our ambition to this world, our pride, our selfishness, and also so sinful to lead us to God's judgment. But Jesus' yoke is different. Jesus' yoke is easy to carry. When we learn Jesus who isn't greedy or selfish, but humble and sacrificial, we can take off our heavy greed and our selfishness which is demanding so tiredly and endlessly. We don't need to take our own heavy yoke by ourselves lonely. When we take Jesus' yoke, Jesus is always with us since Jesus is also taking the same yoke beside us. When we take Jesus' yoke, Jesus will take more burdens and make us carry to the end since he also move the same yoke until the final destination. So let us take off our proud, greedy, sinful, selfish and unsatisfactory yoke, but take easy, humble and satisfactory yoke of Jesus which lead us eternal life and fruitful life to the end with Jesus our Lord.

  In summary, Jesus never forget those who sacrifice their lives for the sake of Jesus as if Jesus did to John the Baptist. Also Jesus wants to knock the door and take our heavy burdens. So we may change our wrong fixed mindset and crooked lifestyle to intend to take our heavy yoke still and lonely, but drop all heavy sinful, greedy, and unsatisfactory yoke and take Jesus' light yoke to the end with our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Attachment

• matthew 11.doc

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