Light As A Feather

To be perfectly honest, some parts of the Bible make absolutely no sense to me. There are some verses I can't comprehend, can't make heads or tails of them. 

I trust the Bible, I know it is the inspired word of God, but His inspired words confuse me immensely at times.

One such verse is Matthew 11:28-30, which reads, "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 at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

I start reading and I find peace. I find rest. What is more comforting than the knowledge that my soul, which so often does feel weary and burdened, can find rest? That I can let go, release the worries and pains that surround, the overwhelming thoughts that chase around my mind like horses running on a racetrack. It's like laying down on the floor in an air-conditioned house, arms and legs spread wide, after a long run on a hot day. 

Rest. Release. 

There's nothing more comforting to me than knowing that my burdens no longer have to weigh on my shoulders, that I can be taken care of by One who will never fail. I love that knowledge of God, I love that peace that passes all understanding. 

I continue reading and continue to be filled with comfort and the soft embrace of peace. The rest and peace I find comes from a God who is gentle and humble. I know someone gentle and humble is someone who will love without judgement, who will care for me with soft love, who will calm my fears, this is a God in whom I can definitely find rest for my broken soul. 

I come to the last verse, "for my yoke is easy and my burden is light," and I always stop. I always stop, confused.

When I have a pressing question or thought while reading my Bible, I often write it on a sticky note and leave it in my Bible for further contemplation, or to ask someone wiser and more learned than I. Beside Matthew 11:28-30 are about 5 sticky notes. 

For years I have tried to understand  this verse. 

One of the sticky notes reads, "I don't understand this because the burden isn't easy! We're called to give everything up. Sometimes our lives or those we love. How is that easy? I believe Jesus is worth what we have to sacrifice, and He sacrificed SO much more. But how is that easy and light?

So I studied. I tried to understand. In Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis, I found this explanation (this is my paraphrase, as written on yet another sticky note)

"The 'yoke is easy' in the big picture. Because running from God, trying to live without Him...it may seem easier in the small picture. Not serving, having to love and think about others, follow the commandments, try to live and be like Christ. All that seems hard, but really, in the big picture, it's easier to have big awesome Jesus in your life, and a wonderful, loving, best-friend-father on your side."

But, this answer didn't fully satisfy me. It still left me with the thought that living for Christ is absolutely worth it, but not easy. This "big picture-little picture" thing was too complex for such a simple statement, "my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

As my attempt to comprehend this verse continued, more sticky notes ensued. I kept trying to explain it to myself, how my perception of easy and light must be wrong, in the grand scheme of things, or the Jesus-scheme of things, the burden must be easy. 

But it wasn't. As followers of Jesus we are called to lay down our lives, to leave father and mother, brother and sister, and follow Jesus. How is that easy? 

It's worth it. But it isn't easy. 

His burden is worth it. This life has trials and and pain and persecution because it is a world plagued by darkness and brokenness. It's hard, but it's worth it. But it isn't easy, it isn't light. 

But I understand now. 

Yes, this is a world of trials and pain, darkness and suffering. That is undeniable. A life lived for Christ has these things as well, because we live in a broken and imperfect world.  

Jesus is easy. He is light. He is rest. He is peace. He is love. See, it's the world that isn't easy and isn't light, not Jesus. This world is full of sin, sadness, darkness. It is heavy. 

But Jesus, He's not. He is light, and "in Him there is no darkness at all." 

What I never understood and now finally realize is this: 

The world's burden isn't easy, but Christ's is. In fact, He is no burden at all. In Him we do find rest. His promise isn't for physical rest, and in a "fallen" world, there is little rest. His promise is for rest for the soul. In Isaiah 28:12 it says, "This is the resting place, let the weary rest...this is the place of repose."

When we experience pain, suffering, worry, distress, Jesus is the only true refuge. In Him we find a peace that passes all understanding. In Him we find rest for our souls.

He goes through this life with us. No matter what storms are raging, He is still God and we can find rest in Him, no matter what.

In the midst of everything, Jesus is light. When we are in Him, the darkness flees.