Rest

Rest

 

I have a friend who owns a home near the country.  When you wake up, birds are chirping for all their worth.  When you look outside the window, you see these birds flying around building their nests.  At one point, my friend and I were both outside looking at a small pond – of sorts – where he has fish.  The fish, as the birds were doing what they do.  They swam in the water.  It occurred to me that these birds and fish were unconcerned with the problems of the world.  They were not worried about from where their next meal would come Or, where would they live.  The fish survived the winter.  The birds flew back and forth and somehow built their homes, to prepare for new offspring.  They were not concerned how to feed these baby birds.  I remembered the sermon on the Mount – Matthew 6: 25 -26, 28, 30-32, 34 - when Christ said to the people,

 Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Matthew 6:28 … Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

Matthew 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Matthew 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

Matthew thew 6:32 … for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil

 It is when we live this way that we find real rest.  This rest comes from Jesus Himself.  Only unto those who come unto Him, He will give rest (Matthew 11:28).  Only when we believe that Christ is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, including us, will we find this rest.  Only when we leave all of our anxieties with Him – the One who rested when He finished His work – will we receive that peace, which comes from resting in Him. Mary Magdalene understood this, but not Martha; we read their story in Luke 10: 38 - 42,

 Luke 10:38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

Luke 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

Luke 10:40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

Luke 10:41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

Luke 10:42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

The Israelites of old never understood.  Paul tells us in Hebrews 4: 6 – 10,

Heb4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

Heb4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Heb4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

Heb4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

Heb4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

 Sabbath keeping without coming in the rest that Christ gives is nothing more than taking a break or a nap.  Only to those who enter Christ's rest is the Sabbath truly "a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you" (Exodus 31:12-13).  Are we like Mary or are we like Martha and the Israelites of Old?

 Raul Diaz

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