Tired? Weary? It's a good thing that Jesus is *Lord of the Sabbath*! Just a few lines before Jesus claimed this title as His own, Matthew tells us that Jesus called all of the “weary” and those with heavy burdens to come to Him. Jesus said that if we follow Him and learn His ways it will help us, because He is--to the core of who He is--gentle and humble (Mt 11:28-30).
How can Jesus do this? Because He is the LORD of the “Sabbath.” At the core of the creation story is the Sabbath, the seventh day of creation where God rests from all of His work (Gn 2:2-3). Later this example became one of the Ten Commandments, spiritual laws people were to follow. While Jesus came to fulfill the law, so it is no longer “required,” it is still a spiritual concept that is good for us to follow.
Why? Because weariness can’t always be solved with a rest day. Jesus being Lord of the Sabbath is more than Him being the “King of the Day Off”! While physical rest is good, true rest is also tied to where you trust, where you lay your burdens.
If you need mental and emotional rest today, let me encourage you to do the following: Pray intentionally, in some quiet spot where you can focus on Him; Read your Bible, perhaps Matthew 12, today's Daily Bible reading, to find truth and wisdom; Release your own ideas about which way is best to go; and Follow Him. This is the path to peace, to rest, to Sabbath.
A Prayer: Lord, please help me to trust You with my fears. Reveal to me that You love me and will be there for me, that You won’t let me down. Open my eyes to who You are and who I am to You. Show me what true love is and that you are love. Save me Lord from my burdens! Save me from my worries! Save me from my fears! Please Lord, bring my mind rest--bring rest for my body and my soul. In Jesus’ name, Amen!