Posts Tagged: Matthew 11:28-30

“Everyone Welcome! Well, Maybe”

On August 12, 2024 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

I was trying to download the Spotify App this morning. I had spent more than a little time typing in my email address and a password. My brain and my fingers are fat and slow when it comes to typing on the teeny, tiny keyboard on my phone. But I wanted Spotify for a couple of podcasts that I enjoy.

However, after spending about ten minutes on my phone, I hit a roadblock. When I typed in my birthdate (including the year I was born), I was greeted with a message that said something to the effect that, because of my age, I did not qualify for this app. It would appear that I am too young for Spotify.

I felt very hurt and frustrated. Being excluded from anything makes me feel rather sad.

However, it is so much more fun to get revenge than it is to be sad, so I said to myself, “Humph! I’ll give Spotify some really bad publicity with the ten people who regularly read my blog posts! That’ll show them!”

In addition to plotting revenge, I also thought about the church. Many churches proclaim that “Everyone is Welcome!’ I have my doubts, though. Many of my twelve-step friends would be open to attending a church, but they are not at all sure they would be welcomed. I hate to say it, but I’m not sure either. A few years ago, in the Atlanta, Georgia area, I encountered a billboard along I-75 that proclaimed, “God loves everybody, even Democrats.” As a Democrat, I was a little uncertain as to whether the purchaser of that billboard message meant what they said.

Jesus invited all kinds of scumbags to follow him. In fact, he said that anyone who was tired could come to him, learn, and find rest.

“Matt. 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matt. 11:29 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.

Matt. 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

And near the very end of the New Testament are the following words:

“Rev. 22:17 ¶ The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”

According to God’s Word, everyone really is welcome.

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“The Humility of God”

On May 9, 2019 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“You have given me the shield of your salvation,

and your right hand supported me,

and your gentleness made me great.” (Psalm 18:35, English Standard Version)

My pastor preached a sermon on pride this past Sunday.  I can’t speak for others, but his sermons almost always give something to think about and act upon for at least the week.  That’s about as long as I can concentrate on anything, so I do need to attend church at least once a week.

And then, in my Scripture reading today, I stumbled across this verse in Psalm 18.  (Psalm 18 is a royal psalm.  It is very similar to 2 Samuel 22.)  And in this royal psalm, David proclaims that God’s gentleness has made him great.  The word translated “gentleness” is a Hebrew word that is usually translated “humility.”  Apparently, most of the translators did not have the courage to speak of God’s humility.  God’s humility seems to be an odd concept to introduce in the midst of a psalm which is so filled with God’s power and God’s empowerment of King David.  While there are some translational problems here, I suspect that the main problem is that we simply find it difficult to think that the powerful and empowering God could be humble.

A good friend of mine, a Catholic priest, studied for a while in Italy.  Since he was already ordained, he was asked to go to small group of nuns, The Sisters of Charity, and celebrate mass occasionally.  On two occasions, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was present.

I asked my friend if he was a little nervous during his homily.  He said that he couldn’t remember a single thing he had said.  But then he added, “But I’ll never forget something Mother Teresa said on the way out of church.  She said, ‘You know, I’m now so much impressed with the power of God as I am with His humility.’ ”

When you turn to the New Testament, you find Jesus who was most certainly a great teacher and prophet.  Some of us (I among them) believe that he was actually God with skin on, and with skin in the game.  He said,

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 English Standard Version)

Jesus was a burning, laser-focused point of humility.  He called his disciples to follow him, to learn from him, to be like him.  It is God’s humility that makes us great.  It is also God’s humility that gives us the pattern to follow to help other people to become great.

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“JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF SLEEP?”

On January 4, 2018 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.”  (Psalm 127:2, New Living Translation, italics mine)

“28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

  29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

  30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”  (Matthew 11:28-30, New Living Translation, italics mine)

“1 God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it.

  2 For this good news– that God has prepared this rest– has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God.

  3 For only we who believe can enter his rest.” (Hebrews 4:1-3a, New Living Translation, italics mine)

 

Here is my journal entry for this morning:

Thursday, January 4, 2018

I am not getting as much sleep as I think I need.  I am working more diligently, which is good.  However, I’m not sure getting four hours of sleep is very good.

On the other hand, I don’t want to lose any sleep over my lack of sleep.  As the saying goes, “there is no problem so bad that it can’t be made worse by worrying about it.”

Sleep, like life itself, comes as a gift from God.  It comes in the amounts and times that God determines.  I need to learn to be content.

Perhaps rest is more important than sleep.  Perhaps I will be alright if I can go through the day restfully.  I think that it is even possible to work in a restful manner.

Jesus spoke of God as always at work (John 5:17).  The authors of Genesis and of Hebrews (Genesis 2:2-3; Hebrews 4:1-3a) talk about God resting from all his works.  If I am made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27, I too can learn the fine art of balancing work and rest.

And, of course, there is always the chance to nap.

 

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