Extending Jesus’ Invitation to Rest

By Jyllyann Samuel, Los Angeles, California, USA

Scripture Reading

• Matthew 11:28-30
• Mark 6:30-31

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Mark 6:30-31

Earlier today I was having dinner with a sister, and we were discussing how the holiday season is a different experience for us now as adults than when we were young girls. We reminisced about how for us, as children, Christmas was filled with so much excitement, anticipation, joy, hope, and peace. (Jesus did say the children were the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, so of course they get it!) Now as adults, however, we find it can easily feel more like a season of busyness, anxiety, and to-do lists. There’s party after party, gift shopping, end-of-year reflections, new-year planning, kids are home from school, and the list goes on and on. We even talked about the reality that taking time off for the holidays can often actually be more stressful because we end up with more things to do after we get back. It’s crazy right!?

My sincerest apologies if this elicits any anxious thoughts. That is obviously not my intention in writing this devotional. However, I think this is a very true reality for many of us – and I want to acknowledge that.

Although, it is easy to get swept up in the holiday season craze; truly, the only way we can stay grounded is by not losing sight of Jesus, the One whose birth and life we are celebrating in the first place. While fixing our eyes on Jesus, we receive His many invitations to rest, like the ones we read here in Matthew 11 and Mark 6. I hope that many of you have found His rest in this season as you have followed along with this Advent series! And as we accept His invitations to rest as His disciples, we also have the opportunity to share them with others.

While we are striving to slow down and enjoy His presence and peace, it can give us new eyes to see how fast everyone around us is going. Being able to slow down and have peace and rest in a world that is fueled by self-reliance, and the hurry and hustle mindset is one of the many ways we as disciples of Jesus are set apart. His rest is an essential element of the good news we should be sharing!

(photo credit: Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash)

Let’s backtrack a bit and read the context of Matthew 11:28-30 by starting in Matthew 11:25:

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

This passage comes right after Jesus denounces towns in which He performed miracles, but who did not repent and believe, even though miraculous things happened right before their eyes. I wonder if it was because they were busy and preoccupied with their worries of life and would not slow down to really see the One who was performing these miracles?

Beginning in verse 25, Jesus then praises God for how He has revealed His majesty to the little children and those who are like them, gentle and humble in heart. (See? We were onto something as children who could experience the essence of Christmas and all its joy and peace!) Jesus then states that it is only through Him that the Father may be known as He chooses to whom He reveals the Father.

We are those who have been chosen! This divine selection is a blessing and light that should not be hidden; and every ray of that light should be shared. We are now vessels called to reveal to the rest of the world what has been revealed to us.

As we consider how we may love our family, friends and neighbors in this season and share the gospel with them, let us consider specifically sharing with them where the rest and peace that every soul so desperately desires is found…in Jesus!

Questions for Reflection

1. Reflect on how you see rest as a part of the good news.
2. Write out some of the ways you have accepted Jesus’ invitation to rest in this season. How have those practices brought about God’s light in your life?
3. Is inviting others to rest something you have considered as a way to share the gospel?
4. How might you extend Jesus’ invitation to rest to those around you?

Today I will

• Think of three people in your life who you see craving rest and invite them to do something restful with you and God just as Jesus did in Mark 6:30-31.
• Or, encourage them to find rest and maybe find a practical way that you can help them find it. Example: help them find free time on their calendar and be their accountability partner to keep that time for themselves.
• Pray for them!

About the Author

Jyllyann was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue her undergraduate education at the University of Southern California. It was during her freshman year at USC that she became a disciple in the Lifeway region of the Los Angeles Church of Christ. After graduating from undergrad, she worked in healthcare for six years and then in 2021 decided to leave her job to serve in the full-time ministry. Currently, she has the privilege of serving in the singles ministry and as a HOPEworldwide chapter director in her region. Her greatest passions are serving and bringing people together. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering in her community, dancing, traveling, and exploring the LA food scene.