Rest for the Weary

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.

-- Matthew 11:29

Climbing the career ladder, beating tight deadlines and closing the deal are all marks of success in Western society. Millions of Americans even skip or cut short their well-earned vacations because they’re either afraid to fall behind at work or they can’t find time on their busy calendars. A study by jobs and recruitment website Glassdoor reveals that on average, American workers use only 54% of their eligible vacation time, and nearly 10% take no paid time off at all. That adds up to forfeiting about 200 million vacation days that can’t be rolled over to the next year.

Jesus had the world’s most important job — saving humanity from its sins — and his routine was often nonstop. In just three years he cured disease, raised the dead and even calmed

a raging storm. So with such a tight schedule, it seems like Jesus would have little or no time to take a break or even socialize. But it turns out that he did make a special effort to enjoy quality time away, and often with those who mattered the most to him. And it’s safe to say that he still managed to accomplish his mission. Recorded in Mark’s gospel, Christ’s admonition to his busy disciples paints the hectic picture:

“Now come along to some quiet place by yourselves, and rest for a little while,” said Jesus, for there were people coming and going incessantly so that they had not even time for meals.

Likewise, Luke’s gospel records a time when Jesus visited the home of his friends Martha and Mary. While Martha busily prepared the food and straightened the house for a gathering, her sister Mary decided to take time out and listen to Jesus’ message. Martha was very upset with Mary’s attitude and complained to Jesus about the apparent injustice. But instead of scolding Mary, Jesus commended her for choosing the most important thing: quality time with him. Jesus understood the importance of off-time, and he was even known (and criticized) for attending a party or two!

Wouldn’t it be nice to interrupt our never-ending schedules to recharge our batteries and forget the everyday grind? The Bible teaches us that well-earned rest is part of God’s design for us to do good work. So with that in mind, let’s learn from Jesus’ example of rest for the weary.