Rev. Jonathan Gruen
August 2, 2009

Text: Matthew 11:28-30 “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.”

They Will Find Respite in Christ

             Most of you know that 2 weeks ago I departed with some youth and adults on a mission trip.  Led by our fearless DCE Tim, we headed out to the Knoxville, Tennessee area for Lord-only-knows what.  And I mean that literally—the Lord only knew.  Not only was this a mystery trip, the details being hidden from us, but also God had incredible plans for us that we could not have predicted.

Each day we found out just a little bit about what was coming next.  Each day we were challenged to work together as a team, to live for Christ, and to show compassion to those in need.  And so we did.  Our last evening there we went to go help at a homeless shelter.  And as a perfect summary of our week of service, painted above the doorway to the dining area were these words, “Come to me, you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Jesus promises to give rest.  “Come to me,” he invites, “you who are weary, burdened, troubled, weighed down with guilt, laden with anxiety…Come to me.  I will give you rest.”  It’s a promise.  He can’t take it back.  The promise is out there.  So, does he keep his promise?  If so, what does that look like? 

Keep those questions in mind as I tell you about a woman I met in Knoxville named Irene.  I met her at Scott Appalachian Industries, which was a place that employed people with special needs.  They would get contracts to do some simple jobs, and the special needs people would come and do work they could do, have friends like them, and also have some fun together.  When we went there, we visited with them, colored with them, worked with them, played basketball with them, sang Christian songs with them, and tried best we could to share the love of Jesus with them.

Well, Irene was (I suppose) a manager.  She was the one who told us what we would be doing and introduced us to the place and the people.  But more than a manager, she was like a loving mother and grandmother to these people.  She knew them all like they  were her children.  She was excited with them when they were excited.  She gave hugs when they were sad.  She was so caring, loving, and helpful, not just to the people who worked there, but also to us, whom she didn't even know.

Wanting to learn more about her I asked her, “Why do you do what you do?”  Her answer was twofold: She had a daughter who had become paralyzed in a swimming accident, and she was thankful for everyone who helped her husband and her care for this daughter in the 7 years or so she lived paralyzed; and secondly, she said she had God’s love in her heart.  “I don't think you can do this,” she said, “If you don't have the love of God in you.”

She then proceeded to tell me how much God's grace meant to her, how much she adored her church and her pastor, how God had strengthened her family to endure such difficult times in their lives, and how much she loved doing what she did.  I think she would have talked all day about it if the situation would have allowed.

In Irene I saw God's compassion, even before she talked about the Lord.  That's why I asked her the question.  You could see that Christ, who loves all people, dwelt in her and caused his love to flow through her to valuable and important people.

Jesus says, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  Does he keep this promise?  What does it look like?  It looks like Irene, who not only cares for the physical needs of the people she encounters, but also the spiritual needs, teaching them Christian songs and actions, Bible verses, and about what Jesus did for them.

What else does it look like?  It looked like our little mission group as we helped at Scott Appalachian Industries, and a food shelter, and cleaning apartments in public housing, and at a nursing home, and a homeless shelter.

Now, we didn’t solve all of Knoxville’s problems.  Nor did we solve all the problems of just one person.  But there is someone who can solve those problems.  I hope you know that it is Jesus Christ.  And what we did was make his love real to real people, tangible to people who feel, and visible to people in the darkness of despair.

And the truth is, we didn’t have to go to Knoxville to do that.  I’m glad we did.  We got away from our laptops and iPods and overstuffed recliners, even our mommies and daddies and then their was no escaping the fact that we were in this together, that people were hurting and in need right in front of us, and we could do something to help.

Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  Does he keep that promise in the Kansas City area too?  What does it look like?  What does it look like when he uses you?

It’s hard to keep up the compassion, isn’t it.  It’s hard to reach out to the outcasts of society.  It’s hard to show love to people very different than us.  It's hard to have the drive to get up everyday and say “the unemployed, the homeless, the sick, the disabled, the hungry are my problem because God cares, and so do I."  It’s hard to make helping others a priority and a way of life.  It’s hard to be a servant, very hard.

Maybe that’s why Jesus often went up on the mountain by himself to pray, focus, and receive from the Father.  He needed peace, and a whole lot of strength from God to do what he did.  And what did he do?  He made the lame walk.  He made the blind see.  He unstopped the ears of the deaf.  He fed the hungry.  He reached out, befriended, forgave, and helped the sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, and all kinds of outcasts.  He could identify with the homeless because he himself had no home, no place to rest his head.  He put on a servant’s towel and washed the disciples’ feet.  And he took up his cross and carried it to Calvary.  No task was below him as he cared for people, valuable important people all of them.  And you know what we never hear Jesus say?  “They are there because of the choices they made.”  You bet most of them made terrible choices!  That's why Jesus would tell them “Go and sin no more.”  But more than just a rebuke, they also needed someone to help them, forgive them, teach them a better way.

And this, Jesus did.  When Jesus was walking around on this earth, I believe it was easy for hurting people to believe him when he said, “Come to me…and I will give you rest.”  It was easy to believe that because when they came to him he healed, loved, forgave, removed their guilt as far as the east is from the west, gave them new life and strength.

Does the same thing happen today?  Does Jesus still walk on this earth?  Maybe not on his two legs, but you can be sure he is still present and active.  Don't we Lutherans believe that Jesus is present in his Word, and in his Sacraments?  Don't we believe that where 2 or 3 are gathered in his name, there he is too?  Don't we believe that we remain in him and he in us?  We sure do! 

What does that tell us?  It tells us that we have an active role to play as Jesus keeps his promise to give rest to the weary and burdened.  In Tennessee we shared God's Word wherever we went, and reached out in particular to those in need.  Can we do the same thing here?  Yes!  And may God strengthen us to do so.

Here's an encouraging thought: Jesus is going to keep his promise, isn't he?  Without a doubt.  And he is going to use his faithful people, isn’t he?  So, when Jesus promises to give rest he is promising that he has the answer to all our burdens, and he is promising that he is going to use us to help others.  It is like St. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” (v. 3-5).

Yes, this is a promise that God can and will use you.  Yes,  you.  Though you are sinful and bear all sorts of guilt, Jesus takes that away and carries it to the cross, suffers beatings, whippings, and torture for you, curses not when the spikes are driven in but cries for our forgiveness, and then gives his life in exchange for ours.  This is why Jesus was so much more than a humanitarian.  He didn't just help people physically, but he provided for the eternal salvation of all.  So, yes, all your sins have been washed away.  All washed away.  He has redeemed you with his blood, purchased and won you from all sin, from death, and from the power of the devil.  God has filled you with his Spirit in baptism, strengthened you with his Word, empowered you with Christ's Body and Blood.  Yes, God can and will use you.

Jesus promises “Come to me, you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  I want you all to remember today that this is a promise that Jesus continues to keep.  And I want you all to remember that you are part of that fulfilled promise.  You are Jesus' hands that reach out, and his mouth that calls, invites people to him.  You are ambassadors of reconciliation. 

And I know that you carry this out in many ways already.  And as you seek to grow in your faithful response, I would like to encourage you once again to remember our many mercy ministries that we do – everything from giving blood, to supporting Rachel House, to helping out a Metropolitan Lutheran Ministries.  I would encourage you to remember our mission statement, that we would at all times Boldly Share the love of Christ.  I would encourage you to be intentional in reaching out, encouraging, inviting.

Yes, once again, I would like to encourage you to remember our Friendship Sunday and Church Picnic.  It is only 2 weeks away already.  It is time, if you haven't already, to invite unchurched family and friends to come and hear God's Word, to meet loving Christian people, to encounter through us the love of Christ.  We are going to make the love of Jesus real to real people, tangible to people who feel, and visible to people who are in the darkness of despair.  And with a simple invitation, you will be Jesus' mouthpiece as he continues to call to sinners, “Come to me...and I will give you rest.”

Jesus calls.  The invitation is open.  Today, leave your burdens here with the Lord, and depart free from sin, released from guilt, and encouraged to face your life situation with the peace and strength of Christ.  And as you go about your week, be sure to open your mouths.  Jesus is still calling.  He has words that he wants to put in your mouth.  Be bold.  Open your mouth.  And watch what God will do.  Your friends, your family, the unchurched...they will find respite in Christ.  Amen.