It's great to worship with you.
For those of you who don't know me, my name is Sean.
I'm one of the pastors of Trinity Cambridge Church.
And it's my great honor and joy to preach God's word to you this morning.
If you have your Bibles with you, please open to Matthew chapter 11, verses 25 to 30.
It's a short passage this morning because there is such a rich and important passage.
Matthew 11, 25 to 30.
Let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's word.
Heavenly Father, since the beginning, the devil has been slandering you.
And making us think hard thoughts of you.
But we ask this morning that by your word, by your son, Jesus Christ, that you speak over our hearts and minds once for all.
Your true character.
Your true heart.
What you are like.
What our Savior, Jesus, is like.
And that for all sinners here this morning, weary and heavy laden.
That you grant us all the soul rest that Christ alone offers.
Do this.
For your glory, Father.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Please stand if you are able as I read from Matthew 11, 25 to 30.
At that time, Jesus declared,
I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding
and reveal them to little children.
Yes, Father.
For such was your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
And no one knows the Son.
And no one knows the Son except the Father.
And no one knows the Father except the Son.
And anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart.
And you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
This is God's holy and authoritative word.
Please be seated.
Many critics throughout history have claimed
that Christianity is too demanding,
too burdensome for its followers.
In his books on the genealogy of morality
and another one of his books, The Antichrist,
19th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche
railed against Christianity for imposing
what he labeled a slave morality.
A morality of the weak and the powerless
that inverted the natural master morality
of the strong and the powerful.
He argued that Christianity's teaching
about renouncing worldly pleasures and sinful desires
inhibits full human expression and enjoyment of life.
He claimed that Christianity's emphasis on guilt and sin
creates an inner tormentor that psychologically cripples people
and spiritually burdens people.
Maybe you feel this morning the sting of Nietzsche's critique
in your own life.
You feel that the requirements of God's law
are a heavy burden upon your shoulders.
Perhaps for some of you it has felt too heavy lately.
I can concede that Nietzsche's observations
are not entirely unfounded.
Earlier in chapter 10, verses 38 to 39,
Jesus said,
Whoever does not take his cross and follow me
is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Following Jesus entails taking up a cross
and following him on a path of suffering,
persecution, and possibly even martyrdom.
We do have to renounce ourselves,
our selfish desires, and our selfish ambitions
for the sake of Christ.
But the problem with Nietzsche's observation
is that he sees only half the story.
He doesn't understand what we gain as Christians.
He doesn't understand that the sacrifices that we make
are no sacrifices at all,
considering what we gain in exchange.
He doesn't understand that only those
who have renounced the fleeting pleasures of this world
can enjoy the eternal pleasures at the right hand of God.
He does not get it,
that only those who acknowledge their guilt and sin
can confess their sins
and receive the freedom of forgiveness
and the mercy and grace of God.
That only those who have truly felt
the depth of their own depravity
can also truly feel the depth of God's mercy.
Yes, following Jesus entails taking up our cross.
Yes, it means taking on the yoke of Christ.
But Jesus assures us in this passage,
my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Do you seek reprieve from your heavy burden?
Do you long for rest from your wearisome labors?
This passage teaches us that Jesus offers rest
for little children who come to him.
First, we're going to talk about the revelation of Jesus.
And secondly, we'll talk about the invitation
of Jesus in this passage.
He says in verses 25 to 26,
at that time, Jesus declared,
I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
that you have hidden these things
from the wise and understanding
and reveal them to little children.
Yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
The phrase, at that time, links this passage
to the passage that came before it,
which Ed preached on this past Sunday,
where Jesus denounced the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida,
and Capernaum for their rejection of him
and his message, the gospel of the kingdom.
In verses 18 to 19, we saw some of the reasons
why people of these towns rejected Jesus.
When John the Baptist, who lived an austere life
and fasted from food and drinks,
often proclaimed that Jesus, the Messianic King,
is coming and that therefore they need to repent
of their sins, these towns rejected John the Baptist
saying, he has a demon.
When, on the other hand, Jesus came after John
on the scene and then he started befriending sinners,
calling them to repentance and eating and drinking
in their homes.
People then rejected, these people from these towns
rejected Jesus too, saying,
he is a friend of sinners,
friend of tax collectors and sinners,
a glutton and a drunkard.
They rejected John for being too ascetic.
They rejected Jesus for being too indulgent
from their perspective.
They were like a fickle child
when you play a card game with them
and says, hey, whoever has the most cards
at the end of the game wins.
And then as you near the end of the game
and when the child is about to lose,
he says, oh, no, no, no, no,
the person with the least cards wins the game.
He keeps changing the game,
changing the terms of the game,
moving the goalposts,
like a debater who keeps changing the terms
of the debate,
who are not interested in learning the truth,
finding the truth,
rather only interested in proving themselves right
and proving the others wrong.
Reflecting on this reality,
Jesus, in this passage,
he prays to God the Father,
a prayer of thanksgiving,
which is shocking
in light of the rejection that he just faced.
And he says this,
I thank you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
that you have hidden these things
from the wise and understanding
and reveal them to little children.
Yes, Father,
for such was your gracious will.
God the Father,
who is the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth,
has in his authority,
in his prerogative,
hidden these things from the wise and understanding.
What are these things that God has hidden from them?
It's the good news of the kingdom of heaven
that Jesus has been proclaiming.
Namely, that Jesus is the son of God,
the divinely appointed messianic king
who brings forth the kingdom of God
to save his people.
But why is God hiding these things
from the wise and understanding?
The wise and understanding refer
not to those who are truly wise
and understanding in a biblical sense,
spiritual sense,
but rather to the prideful people in the world
who are wise in their own eyes.
Wise in a worldly sense,
esteemed by the world.
How do we know that?
Skip back to verse 23 for a moment with me.
One of the towns that rejected Jesus was Capernaum.
And Jesus says,
and you, Capernaum,
will you be exalted to heaven?
No, you will be brought down to Hades.
The people who rejected Jesus
pridefully thought to themselves
that they will be exalted to heaven.
We are the wise ones who know our stuff.
We're not like the simpletons
who are following after Jesus.
The world is going to see
how wise and discerning we were in the end.
We're going to be exalted to the heavens.
But the Lord of heaven and earth
has other plans.
He has decreed that far from being exalted to heaven,
Capernaum, Chorazin, Bethsaida,
all these towns that reject Jesus
will be instead humbled
and brought down to Hades,
the underworld of the dead.
God the Father has hidden
the saving knowledge of his son
and his kingdom from the prideful.
In contrast, Jesus says,
the Lord of heaven has revealed these things
to little children.
Little children is one of Matthew's favorite way
of referring to the disciples of Jesus,
those who humbly follow Jesus.
Earlier in Matthew chapter 10, verse 42,
Jesus said,
whoever gives one of these little ones
even a cup of cold water
because he is a disciple.
Truly I say to you,
he will by no means lose his reward.
The little ones of God
are the disciples of Jesus Christ.
Later in Matthew 19, 13 to 15,
when his entourage rebukes the parents
who are trying to bring their kids to Jesus
so that Jesus can lay hands on them
and bless them and pray for them,
Jesus rebukes those disciples
and he says,
let the little children come to me
and do not hinder them
for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.
Why does the kingdom of heaven belong to people
who are like these little children?
Jesus tells us in Matthew 18, 1 to 6.
In that context,
his disciples are arguing about
who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
So this is proof that
we are not the only generation
fascinated with the goat arguments,
who is the greatest of all time.
Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
And then Jesus puts a child
in the midst of them in the middle
and he says,
truly I say to you,
unless you turn and become like children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Humility is the point
that Jesus is getting at.
How are children humble?
Children instinctively
entrust themselves to their parents' provision.
Jesus said in Matthew 6, 31 to 32,
do not be anxious saying,
what shall we eat or what shall we drink?
Because he said,
for your heavenly father knows what you need.
The children of our church
never worry about where their next meal is coming from
because it's not their job.
It's not their concern.
They're not orphans who must fend for themselves
and feed themselves.
They have parents who provide for them
by God's grace.
So likewise,
we Christians,
we ought to entrust ourselves
to our heavenly father's care.
When I'm walking with my girl sometimes,
yesterday I was walking home with Ina
and then about 50 meters ahead,
there was a homeless man
who just burst out laughing all of a sudden.
And he's actually a really nice guy
with friendly terms.
But Ina doesn't know.
She's just kind of freaked out.
She's like,
what is going on?
And then of course,
immediately what happens is
she comes next to me
and starts holding my hand.
Because that's what children instinctively do
when they're afraid.
They rely on their father for protection.
Children understand their own neediness.
They are by definition
not sufficient,
not self-sufficient.
That's why we call them legally dependents.
The Greek word used here for little children
is the same word that is later translated
in Matthew 21, 16 as infant.
They are really dependent children.
In the earthly value scale,
infants offer no economic value.
They're on the opposite end of the spectrum
as mature, self-sufficient adults.
But in the heavenly value scale,
many who are first will be last
and the last first,
Jesus says in Matthew 19, 3.
God reveals himself only to little children
because God is the only father
in the household of God.
Only dependents may come in to his family.
God saves only those who acknowledge
that they cannot save themselves
and cry out to him for help.
Proverbs 3, 34,
quoting Proverbs 3, 34,
1 Peter 5, 5 says this,
God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.
This is God's mode of operation.
As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1, 26-29,
for consider your calling, brothers.
Not many of you are wise
according to worldly standards.
Not many were powerful.
Not many were of noble birth.
But God chose what is foolish in the world
to shame the wise.
God chose what is weak in the world
to shame the strong.
God chose what is low and despised in the world,
even things that are not,
to bring to nothing things that are
so that no human being might boast
in the presence of God.
God reveals himself only to little children
so that no human being might boast
in the presence of God.
Think about it this way.
If you invite rich and powerful people
to your party,
they think to themselves,
well, of course,
I'm invited to this party.
Who else would they invite?
I'm important.
I'm successful.
I'm deserving.
I have something to offer.
They boast and glory in themselves.
But if you invite the poor,
and the weak,
the needy to your party,
they think to themselves,
why did I get invited to this party?
I don't belong here.
How generous is this host?
How gracious is this host?
That is God's purpose.
Yes,
Father.
Jesus says in verse 26,
for such was your gracious will.
It pleases the Father
to reveal himself to little children.
Jesus continues in verse 27,
all things have been handed over to me by my Father.
And no one knows the Son except the Father.
And no one knows the Father except the Son.
And anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Maybe some of you have had the unfortunate but common experience
of trying to break into a very tight-knit,
intimate,
and exclusive friend group in the past.
They've known each other for years,
and you've known them for weeks.
It feels like you'll never quite fully be included.
Well then,
imagine what it's like trying to get inside
the Son's eternal relationship
with his Heavenly Father.
Jesus says in John 17,
verse 24,
that God his Father
loved him
before the foundation of the world.
What was God doing
before he created the world?
He was loving his Son.
God is love.
God the Father
is the lover.
His Son is the beloved.
And it's the Spirit of God
who envelops them.
In that triune love.
And Jesus says,
no one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son.
This is the most intimate,
most exclusive,
infinite relationship.
Well then,
who can know God?
No one knows the Father except the Son.
No one knows the Son except the Father.
We, however,
here Jesus opens the door.
No one knows the Father except the Son,
and anyone to whom
the Son chooses to reveal him.
We, the creatures,
can come personally
to know God,
our Creator,
if Jesus,
the Son of God,
chooses to reveal him to us.
That's the amazing privilege
that this passage is speaking of.
And that's a remarkable statement.
Early in verse 25,
we were told that it is God,
the Father,
who as Lord of heaven and earth,
sovereignly chooses
whom to reveal himself to.
But now,
in verse 27,
Jesus says that the Son
is the one who reveals
God
to whomever he chooses.
How can this be?
Look at the beginning of verse 27.
All things have been handed over
to me by my Father.
Do you see the staggering
implications of that?
Jesus is claiming for himself
the cosmic,
universal,
sovereign authority
of the Lord of heaven and earth.
Students of Scripture
have frequently noted
that the Gospel of John
has a very exalted Christology.
It speaks of Jesus
in cosmic,
divine,
exalted terms.
But while John's
high Christology
is the most explicit,
it is not true
that the other Gospel writers,
Matthew, Mark, and Luke,
have a lower Christology.
They have just as high
a view of Jesus,
and our passage this morning
is an unmistakable
instance of that.
This is the kind of language
that John uses,
that Matthew has here
in this passage.
To give you an example,
John 1.18,
no one has ever seen God.
God, the only Son,
who is at the Father's side,
He has made Him known.
John 3.35,
the Father loves the Son
and has given all things
into His hand.
John 5.21-23,
for as the Father
raises the dead
and gives them life,
so also the Son
gives life to whom He will.
For the Father judges no one,
but has given all judgment
to the Son,
that all may honor the Son
just as they honor the Father.
The Father has entrusted
all things,
it says,
to the Son.
All things have been handed
over to me by my Father.
Therefore,
it is the Son's prerogative
to choose whom He will hide
these things from
and whom He will reveal
these things to.
This is what we see
in Matthew 13.10-16.
When His disciples ask Him,
Why do you speak to the crowds
in parables?
Jesus answers them,
To you it has been given
to know the secrets
of the kingdom of heaven,
but to them it has not been given.
This is why I speak to them
in parables,
because seeing they do not see
and hearing they do not hear,
nor do they understand.
But blessed are your eyes
for they see
and your ears for they hear.
Jesus' parables were not like
sermon illustrations that we use
that are meant to clarify
and make more vivid
the points that we are making.
No, the parables of Jesus
were meant to hide,
conceal the secrets of the kingdom
so that people might hear the truth
and yet still not understand.
Then that raises the question,
To whom does Jesus reveal
the secrets of the kingdom?
His disciples,
the little children.
And what is the difference
between the disciples
and the crowds?
Jesus says in John 9, 39-41,
For judgment I came into this world
that those who do not see may see,
and those who see may become blind.
Some of the Pharisees near Him
heard these things and said to Him,
Are we also blind?
Jesus said to them,
If you were blind,
you would have no guilt.
But now that you say we see,
your guilt remains.
The difference between
Jesus' disciples and the Pharisees
is that the Pharisees
claim that they can see.
We have spiritual sight, you see.
We have wisdom.
We are enlightened.
And therefore,
because of their pride
and self-sufficiency,
the secrets of the kingdom of heaven
are hidden from them.
They are blind
because they think that they see.
The disciples, on the other hand,
they know that they are blind.
They know that they lack wisdom.
And it's their humility
and dependence upon God
that makes them recipients
of the revelation of Jesus.
So that they can say,
I once was blind,
but now I see.
That, of course,
raises the all-important question for us.
Which group am I in?
Am I in that group,
those from whom the truths of God are hidden?
Or am I in the group
where the truths of God are revealed?
How do I get that exclusive ticket
to the loving knowledge
and relationship
between the Father and the Son?
You need not wonder
because Jesus' sovereign revelation of Jesus
is put right next to
His gracious invitation in verse 28.
You can find out which group you belong to
by how you respond to Jesus' invitation.
Come to me,
all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
First, let's note what the subject
of this invitation is.
What is Jesus inviting us to?
Or whom is Jesus inviting us to?
The subject of this invitation
is Jesus Himself.
He invites us to come to Him.
Come to me,
and I will give you rest.
This is striking.
Jesus is speaking here of soul rest.
He's not an innkeeper who says,
come here,
and I'll let you sleep
and get some rest.
He's talking about soul rest,
eternal rest,
eternal life.
So what must we do
to inherit eternal life?
Eternal rest,
Jesus says,
come to me.
Many people have noted
that Jesus is likely here
alluding to the book of Sirach,
which is a Jewish literary work
written about 200 years
before Jesus' time.
It's not part of the Old Testament canon,
but it was included
in the ancient Greek translation
of the Old Testament,
the Hebrew Bible,
which was read by early believers.
Sirach 51, 23, 27,
which in turn is alluding
to Isaiah 55, 1 to 3,
which we read in our call to worship,
says this,
draw near to me,
you who are untaught,
and lodge in my school.
Why do you say
you are lacking in these things,
and why are your souls
very thirsty?
I opened my mouth and said,
get these things for yourselves
without money.
Put your neck under the yoke,
and let your souls
receive instruction.
It is to be found close by.
See with your eyes
that I have labored little
and found for myself much rest.
There are clear echoes
of our passage in Matthew 11,
words like to me,
labor, yoke, instruction,
find, rest, soul.
But there's also
a significant difference
between Sirach and Matthew.
In Sirach,
the sage,
the wise man,
invites people
to come under
the yoke of wisdom
from under which
he himself has learned
and found the rest of God.
But Jesus invites people
to come under his yoke.
Take my yoke upon you
and learn from me.
And then Jesus himself
promises rest,
I will give you rest.
In Matthew's gospel,
Jesus is divine wisdom
in himself.
He is the personification,
or rather the incarnation
of divine wisdom,
the word of God.
This audacious claim,
come to me,
and I will give you rest,
sets Jesus apart
from the founders
of every other major religion.
Hinduism teaches
that one must fulfill
the dharma,
one's righteous duty,
in hopes of escaping
the birth and rebirth cycle.
Buddha taught
that one must follow
the noble eightfold path,
cultivate the right view,
the right resolve,
the right speech,
right action,
right effort,
right mindfulness,
and so on,
in order to attain enlightenment
and escape,
be freed from suffering,
escape the cycle of rebirth.
Muhammad thought that one must obey
the five pillars of Islam,
the declaration of faith,
the prayers,
almsgiving,
fasting,
and pilgrimage to Mecca
in order to enter paradise.
But Jesus does not point
to some other path
or way to salvation
like other religious leaders.
He doesn't say,
go that way,
follow that path.
He doesn't point
to some other truth
or teaching,
believe that teaching
that I've taught you
or proclaimed to you,
obey that thing.
No, Jesus points to Himself
and He says,
come to Me.
As He says in John 14, 6,
I am the way
and the truth
and the life.
No one comes to the Father
except through Me.
Jesus does not say,
here or there
you will find the light.
He says,
I am the light of the world.
John 8, 12.
Jesus doesn't say,
there's the door.
That's how you enter
the kingdom of heaven,
paradise.
No, He says,
I am the door.
John 10, 7.
Jesus doesn't say,
you can find life
over here or over there.
No, He says,
I am the resurrection
and the life.
I am.
Because Jesus is
the great I am.
The Lord God.
Therefore,
the subject of this invitation
is Jesus Himself.
Come to Me.
Who then are the objects
of this salvation?
Who is this invitation for?
Jesus says,
come to Me.
All who labor
and are heavy laden
and I will give you rest.
Later in Matthew 23,
verse 4,
Jesus pronounces woes
on the Jewish leaders,
the Pharisees
and the scribes.
And He says this,
they tie up
heavy burdens,
hard to bear,
and lay them
on people's shoulders,
but they themselves
are not willing
to move them
with their finger.
These Jewish leaders
practiced their righteousness
before men,
not out of a genuine
obedience to God
or love for God,
but for show,
to be seen by men
and to be praised by men.
They laid heavy
legal burdens
!
They laid heavy
legal burdens
upon the people of God
and were being complicated
by ever mounting prescriptions,
extra prescriptions
and prohibitions
that they invented
that God never put
in His Word.
And when the people of God
began to sink
under the weight,
sink under the weight
of that,
and collapse
under the weight
of that,
they would not lift
a finger
to help them out.
Jesus is speaking
of that burden,
the burden of the law,
the ethical demands
that God's law
has placed upon us.
This interpretation
is confirmed
by Acts 15,
verse 10.
When the apostles
and the elders
of the Jerusalem church
are deliberating
what to do
about this influx
of non-Jewish,
Gentile converts
to Christianity,
he says,
some believers
who belong
to the party
of the Pharisees
rose up and said,
it is necessary
to circumcise them
and to order them
to keep the law
of Moses.
But the apostles
and the elders
decide instead
that since God
has made no distinction
between Jews
and Gentiles,
and instead,
He has cleansed
even the Gentiles' hearts
by faith,
and because He
has even given them
of the Holy Spirit,
they say that no such burden
should be placed upon them.
Instead,
they say in Acts 15,
verse 10,
now therefore,
why are you putting God
to the test
by placing a yoke
on the neck
of the disciples
that neither our fathers
nor we
have been able
to bear?
But we believe
that we will be saved
through the grace
of the Lord Jesus
just as they will.
The burden
and yoke
are the burden
and yoke
of the law of God.
Do you remember
the Sermon on the Mount,
Matthew 5-7,
which was Jesus'
authoritative exposition
of the law of Moses?
Jesus taught
that even those
who harbor
anger toward
your Christian brother
and sister
is guilty of murder.
Jesus said
not to repay
anyone evil
for evil,
but instead
to turn the other cheek,
to love even
our enemies
and not only
our neighbors.
Sure,
we can stop ourselves
perhaps from
cold-blooded murder,
but what shall we do
about the hatred
and bitterness
that rise up
from within
our own hearts
toward people
who have wronged us?
Jesus said
that anyone
who looks
at a woman
with lustful intent
has already
committed adultery
with her in his heart.
Sure,
maybe we've never
committed adultery,
but if even
a glance,
a lustful glance
is adultery,
who has a chance?
Jesus said
in Matthew 5-48,
you therefore
must be perfect
as your heavenly
father is perfect.
That is
the standard
of God's law.
Perfection.
And all of us
have fallen short.
But here's
the good news.
This invitation
is not for those
who are stout
and broad-shouldered
who can carry
their heavy burdens
!
It's not
that
while nary
breaking a sweat.
no,
this invitation
is not for the strong
and the self-sufficient.
It's for the weak
little
children.
It's for
all
who labor
and are heavy laden.
Isn't that
good news?
Have you,
like me,
felt
on your
shoulders,
on your
back,
the back-breaking
weight
of the perfect
law of God?
Have you
tried
and tried
again
in your own
strength
and failed
again,
and again?
have you
seen
the
wicked,
hopeless
depravity
of your own
sinful heart?
Have you
seen
the utter
ruin
of your
soul?
Have you
despaired
of your own
righteousness?
Are you
just about
ready to
collapse
under the
weight
of God's
moral demands
to give
up,
to give
up and
bear the
consequence
of sin,
death,
damnation?
Do you
see
that that
is in
fact
what you
and I
deserve?
Then
this
invitation
is for
you.
Come
to me
all,
all
who labor
and are
heavy
laid
and I
will give
you rest.
How
sweet is
our
savior?
And
why does
Jesus issue
such a
gracious
invitation
for sinners
like you
and me?
Jesus
tells us
in verse
29,
take my
yoke upon
you and
learn from
me for
because
that's
the
reason
for
I
am
gentle
and
lowly
in
heart
and
you
will
find
rest
for
your
souls.
19th
century
English
preacher
Charles
Spurgeon
has
noted
in one
of his
many
sermons
on this
passage,
I think
he's
preached
half a
dozen
sermons
or more
on this
passage,
I hope
I get
to do
the
same
in my
life.
he
notes
that
in
all
of
the
four
gospels
Matthew,
Mark,
Luke,
and John
which tell
us about
the person
and work
of Jesus,
this verse
right here
is the
only place
where Jesus
tells us
about what's
in his
own
heart.
And
what's
the heart?
The heart
is the
inner
center
of a
person
from
which
flows
the
springs
of life.
Proverbs
4
23
says
Jesus
says
repeatedly
throughout
Matthew
12
34
15
18
15
19
that
all
our
words
and
deeds
all
our
actions
all
our
speech
everything
we do
flow out
of the
abundance
of the
heart.
In other
words,
if you
know a
person's
heart,
you know
them
inside
and out.
You know
what they're
really like.
And you
know what
Jesus'
heart is
like,
what he's
really
like,
at his
very
core,
he says
I am
gentle
and lowly
in heart.
because
Jesus
is so
holy,
because
Jesus
is the
son of
God
to whom
the
father
has
handed
over
all
things,
we
expect
Jesus
to be
harsh
and
haughty
like
sinful
people get
when they're
in positions
of authority,
when they're
better than
us.
we expect
Jesus to
be harsh
and haughty,
we expect
him to
be sore
and severe,
we expect
him to
look at
us up
and down
and
in
disappointment
and
disgust
and say
how pathetic
are you
really?
Is this
the best
you can
do?
I tell
you everything
you have
to do,
A to Z,
and you
still
can't
do it.
You
have
sinned
yet
again.
You've
sinned
so many
times
that I
have
lost
count.
My
patience
is
really
running
thin.
So
get
your
act
together
before
I
put
you
out
of
my
presence.
Isn't
that
how we
sometimes
view
God?
Isn't
that
what
the devil
tells us
God
is
like?
But
praise
be to
God
that
is
not
what
Jesus
is
like.
He
says
I
am
gentle
and
lowly
in
heart.
The
word
gentle
occurs
only
three
other
times
in
the
New
Testament.
First
in the
Beatitudes
where
it
is
translated
as
meek.
Blessed
are
the
meek
for
they
shall
inherit
the
earth.
In
Matthew
5
5.
The
meek
seem
like
the last
kind
of
people
who
will
inherit
the
earth
in
our
minds.
Right?
Doesn't
the earth
belong to
the strong?
Doesn't
the earth
belong to
the assertive?
The aggressive?
To those who
seize the
moment and
seize power?
Not
according to
Jesus.
The earth
belongs to
the meek.
To
those who
are willing
to be
overlooked.
To
those who
are willing
to be
downtrodden.
As
they
trust in
and wait
on
the
deliverance
of
God.
The
second
instance
is in
Zechariah's
prophecy
concerning
Jesus
which is
cited
later in
Matthew
21
verse 5
and there
it's
translated
as
humble.
Behold
your
king
is
coming
to
you
humble
and
mounted
on a
donkey.
In
this
context
it
describes
King
Jesus
coming
into
hostile
territory
to
Jerusalem
where
his
detractors
will
frame
him
with
trumped
up
charges
and
crucify
him
unjustly.
But
even
when
he
is
coming
into
this
rebellious
city
instead
of
coming
on
a
mighty
stallion
to
wage
war
against
these
ungrateful
rebels
to
conquer
them
instead
of doing
that
Jesus
comes
on
a
donkey
sauntering
down
the
mountain
in
peace
that's
meekness
third
this
is the
last
instance
of the
word
in
first
Peter
three
four
it's
used
to
describe
godly
woman
whom
God
cherishes
people
women
he says
are
precious
to
him
they're
described
as
having
their
hearts
clothed
with
the
imperishable
beauty
of a
gentle
and
quiet
spirit
that
word
gentle
is the
same
word
meek
humble
if
Jesus
is
meek
in
his
heart
then
he
is
not
irritable
or
easily
exasperated
when we
come to
him
he is
humble
he is
gentle
he has
the
longest
patience
he has
the most
gracious
disposition
he is
the most
understanding
of anyone
we have
ever
known
Jesus
also
described
as
lowly
in
heart
this
is
also
a word
that
sometimes
translates
as
humble
for
example
in
1st
Peter
5
which
I
cited
earlier
God
opposes
the
proud
but
gives
grace
to
the
humble
it
refers
to
those
who
are
of
humble
estate
as
Mary
says
in
Luke
152
so
Romans
12
16
commands
us
do
not
be
haughty
but
associate
with
the
lowly
haughty
people
only
hang out
with
the
high
and
the
mighty
but
lowly
people
are
fine
with
being
associated
with
the
lowly
and
Jesus
is
fine
with
being
associated
with
lowly
people
like
us
no
matter
how
far
you
have
sunk
down
in
your
mire
of
sin
Jesus
is
willing
to
go
that
low
to
lift
you
up
take
my
yoke
upon
you
and
learn
from
me
for
I
am
gentle
and
lowly
in
heart
and
you
will
find
rest
for
your
souls
we
should
take
the
yoke
of
Christ
the
yoke
of
learning
because
Jesus
is
gentle
and
lowly
in
heart
that's
how
we
know
that
in
him
we
will
find
rest
for
our
souls
for
he
says
in
verse
30
my
yoke
is
easy
and
my
burden
is
light
a
yoke
is
a
wooden
cross
beam
that
is
laid
upon
an
animal
or
on
a
person
to
help
them
carry
or pull
a
heavier
load
than
they
otherwise
would
be
able
to
without
it
this
is
a
symbol
of
burden
it's
a
symbol
often
of
oppression
of
control
but
wait
didn't
Jesus
say
earlier
in
Matthew
7
13
to
14
enter
by
the
narrow
gate
for
the
gate
is
wide
and
the
way
is
easy
that
leads
to
destruction
and
those
who
enter
by
it
are
many
for
the
gate
is
narrow
and
the
way
is
hard
that
leads
to
life
and
those
who
find
it
are
few
the
way
of
Christ
that
leads
to
eternal
life
is
hard
so
then
how
can
Jesus
say
that
his
yoke
is
easy
there's
no
contradiction
here
the
word
translated
easy
here
is a
different
word
than
the
one
that's
used
in
Matthew
7
13
the
word
that's
used
here
is
a
word
that
means
kind
for
example
when it
says in
Luke 6
35
that God
most high
is kind
to the
ungrateful
and the
evil
or in
Romans 2
4
when it
says
do you
presume
on the
riches
of his
kindness
and forbearance
and patience
not knowing
that God's
kindness
is meant
to lead
you to
repentance
or Ephesians
432
be kind
to one
another
tenderhearted
forgiving
one
another
as
God
in
Christ
forgave
you
all
of
these
instances
of the
word
kind
that's
translated
easy
in our
verse
it
describes
they
describe
how
God
treats
the
undeserving
sinner
with
forgiveness
with
forbearance
with
kindness
in other
words
the idea
of a
yoke
which
conjures
up
images
of
control
and
oppression
weight
and
burden
is
meant
to
be
ironic
the
yoke
that
Christ
offers
is
the
yoke
of
freedom
but
how
can
Jesus
lighten
that
yoke
that
was
so
heavy
because
God
cannot
lower
the
standards
or
lighten
the
burden
without
doing
damage
to
his
own
dignity
and
glory
and
holiness
how
can
Jesus
offer
us
an
easy
yoke
and
a
light
burden
Jesus
can
offer
this
to
us
because
he
himself
has
borne
this
burden
on
the
cross
he
says
in
Colossians
chapter
one
and
you
who
were
dead
in
your
trespasses
and
the
uncircumcision
of
your
flesh
God
made
alive
together
with
him
having
forgiven
us
all
our
trespasses
by
canceling
the
record
of
debt
that
stood
against
us
with
its
legal
demands
this
he
set
aside
nailing
it
to
the
cross
that
heavy
back
breaking
burden
that
we
stumbled
underneath
that
we
crumbled
underneath
Jesus
carried
that
on
the
cross
he
nailed
all
of
our
debt
all
of
the
legal
demands
of
the
law
nailed
it
to
the
cross
when
he
died
on
the
cross
for
our
sins
and
then
after
he
as
he
was
dying
with
his
final
breath
Jesus
said
it
is
finished
all
other
religious
leaders
tell
you
do
Jesus
is the
only
one
who
says
done
it
is
finished
I
have
done
it
I
have
carried
the
burdens
of
my
people
for
them
the
leaders
the
Jewish
leaders
would
not
lift
a
finger
to
help
lift
their
burden
Jesus
carried
it
all
on
the
cross
so
that
we
might
live
so
what
is
this
yoke
yes
it's
a
yoke
it's
the
yoke
of
submission
to
God
but
when
I
think
Dane
Ortlund
uses
this
illustration
in his
book
Gentle
and
Lowly
when
a
rescuer
throws
a life
preserver
to a
drowning
man
tells
him
put
on
that
burden
put
it
over
yourself
carry
that
thing
does
that
seem
like
a
burden
to
the
drowning
man
that's
being
rescued
no
that's
life
that's
salvation
in a
world
of
tyrants
in a
world
of
that's
governed
by the
prince
of the
power
of the
air
who
enslaves
us
to sin
and death
when
Jesus
Christ
the
king
offers
service
to
him
instead
offers
servitude
to
his
kingdom
instead
and
says
you
pledge
allegiance
to
me
and
you
are
no
longer
beholden
to
any
of
these
tyrants
and
you
say
gladly
yes
I
will
serve
you
Jesus
I
will
submit
to
you
for
the
rest
of
my
life
is
that
a
burden
is
that
that's
freedom
that's
liberation
that's
the
yoke
of
freedom
that
Jesus
offers
us
so
we
can
say
as
Paul
said
in
Galatians
2
20
but
the
life
I
have
been
crucified
with
Christ
it
is
no
longer
I
who
live
but
Christ
who
lives
within
me
and
the
life
that
I
now
live
in
the
flesh
or in
the
body
I
live
by
faith
in
the
son
of
God
who
loved
me
and
gave
himself
for
me
he
is
no
longer
I
we
live
out
of
the
finished
work
of
Jesus
Christ
Jesus
Christ
himself
enables
us
and
carries
our
burdens
and
helps
us
to
live
in
faith
and
obedience
that's
why
it's
easy
that's
why
it
says
in
1
John
chapter
5
verses
2
to
5
by
this
we
know
that
we
love
the
children
of
God
when
we
love
God
and
obey
his
commandments
for
this
is
the
love
of
God
that
we
keep
his
commandments
and
his
commandments
are
not
burdensome
for
everyone
who
has
been
born
of
God
overcomes
the
world
and
this
is
the
victory
that
has
overcome
the
world
our
faith
who
is
it
that
overcomes
the
world
except
the
one
who
believes
that
Jesus
is
the
son
of
God
that's
why
Christian
life
is
faith
working
itself
out
in
love
it
is
not
work
so
that
I
might
be
saved
no
I
am
saved
I
am
loved
and
we
live
out
of
the
joy
and
freedom
of
that
reality
I
pray
that
you
will
experience
that
in
rich
measure
by the
power
of the
Holy
Spirit
every
day
of
your
waking
lives
let's
pray
together
Lord
Jesus
you
were
not
ashamed
to
call
us
lowly
!
lowly
sinners
your
friends
your
brothers
and
oh
Lord
we
are
not
ashamed
to
call
the
crucified
Lord
the
gentle
and
lowly
Lord
our
Savior
our
Lord
that's
our
Lord
there
is
no
one
like
you
no
one
deserves
our
allegiance
our
praise
our
glory
like
you
empower
your
saints
Lord
to live
out of
their union
with you
Lord
Jesus
out of
their
fellowship
with your
very
spirit
in
faith
working
itself
out
through
love
Lord I
pray
specifically
for those
who have
felt like
their lives
have been
heavy
lately
burdensome
Oh
Lord
help
them to
relish
the easy
yoke
the kind
yoke
and the
light
burden
in Jesus
name
we pray
amen
to
and
to
!