Church Burdens & Jesus’ Rest

Lifting the Burden

When we read Jesus’ offer of rest (Matthew 11:16-30) we can be skeptical. People are suspicious of the Church. The Church does not always offer rest but the yoke of human rules and burdensome traditions. And therein lies the difference. Church rules are not always God’s rules. Churches can lead us to rest in Jesus, but the rest is in Jesus not the Church. Others may say that it’s not Church rules that bother them but God’s. They want to sin and not have to obey God’s restrictive rules. Yet, that is a misunderstanding of God’s way. God’s instructions are designed to relieve burdens from our lives. For instance, unwanted pregnancy, venereal disease, divorce, family animosity, poverty and loneliness are burdens which can all result from sexual immorality. Jesus offered rest from the burdens our sins have caused us.