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Coffee With God: 10/17/2024 | Luke 10:41-42
Do you ever feel like you’re in a nonstop rat race? Are you constantly stressed out from trying to juggle all your responsibilities? Whether you work full or part-time, are a student, a stay-at-home parent, a business owner, or retired, life has a way of keeping you busy!
Did you know that God created you with a need for rest? Not that we are to avoid work; we are admonished to “work … with all your heart as working for the Lord.”[1] But we also need rest. Not just our bodies but our minds and souls as well.
God himself exemplified this aspect of creation from the very beginning. “God finished his work, and he rested on the seventh day from all that he had done.”[2] Why did God rest? Was he tired from all the work he had performed in creation? Not at all. “He never sleeps nor slumbers”[3]. God rested to set a pattern for us to follow, “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth…and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”[4]
Now that the Mosaic Law has been fulfilled in Jesus, we are no longer bound to Sabbath observance. This, however, does not negate the fact that God created us with the intrinsic need for rest.
Most of us are familiar with the 23rd Psalm: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.”[5]
Can you envision the sheep resting safely under the shepherd’s watchful eye? There is no lack of provision. There is no need for them to sleep lightly. The shepherd is always close at hand. What is the benefit of such repose? David tells us in the very next verse: “He restores my soul.”[6]
When was the last time you allowed yourself to truly rest – peacefully, deeply, and unanxiously – under the tender, loving care of the Good Shepherd?
When Jesus was on earth, he “had compassion for the crowds because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”[7] He reprimanded the religious leaders of his day because “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.”[8]
When was the last time you allowed yourself to truly rest – peacefully, deeply, and unanxiously – under the tender, loving care of the Good Shepherd?
In direct opposition to this style of leadership, Jesus told the crowds, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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.”[9]
Rest. What a welcome reprieve from the harsh demands of the Pharisees! Not to mention our current, hectic world.
Remember the time Jesus visited the home of his friends, Mary and Martha? “Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving.” In frustration, Martha voiced her complaint to the Lord, “Tell her to help me.”[10] Didn’t Jesus see how unfair it was that Mary had left her to do all the work?
Jesus knew exactly how Martha felt, but he also saw her disordered priorities. The master lovingly helped her get a better perspective on the situation, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”[11]
Martha had gotten so caught up in her work that she lost sight of the most important thing of all: sitting at Jesus’ feet.
So, how does the story end? Did Martha continue to seethe about Mary not helping her? Did she finish her work and sit at Jesus’ feet? Or did she immediately drop everything and stay with him? Scripture doesn’t say. The point isn’t whether or not Martha learned her lesson; what matters is what we can learn from Martha’s predicament.
Do the burdens of life weigh you down? Do you find yourself worrying about the potentially disastrous outcome of the upcoming presidential election? Are you anxious about preparing for the holiday season? Or wondering how you are going to make ends meet?
Regardless of what might be burdening you in this season, Jesus invites you to bring your burdens to him. To rest beside still waters. To sit at his feet daily. When you do, everything else will fall into place so that even amid the work and worries of life, you will truly experience the rest he has prepared for you.
[1] Colossians 3:23
[2] Genesis 2:2
[3] Psalm 121:4
[4] Exodus 20:11
[5] Psalm 23:1-2
[6] Psalm 23:3a
[7] Matthew 9:36
[8] Matthew 23:4
[9] Matthew 11:28-29
[10] Luke 10:39-40
[11] Luke 10:38-42
Learning to Rest at the Feet of Jesus.
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