17 July 2014 - labor and rest

17 July 2014 - labor and rest

Salvation we have not achieved for the earth,
the inhabitants of the world cannot bring it forth.

We don't achieve salvation on our own.  And this isn't just in the spiritual realm.  We can't have lives that are smooth and level without God's saving power.  We can't have relationships built on justice and peace through our own strength.  It is the LORD who accomplishes all of these things in our relationships.

Jesus tells us that we are bearing burdens that we aren't meant to bear.

Jesus said:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.

We are often believe that, if things are this hard, we must ultimately be able to get something from them.  In life we develop this natural sense of connection between how much we suffer, indeed how much we punish ourselves, and the benefit we receive.  It becomes less about the medicine, more about how bitter, less about the exercise, more about how exhausted we become.  Yet we give birth to the wind.  Our efforts prove futile.

As a woman about to give birth
writhes and cries out in her pains,
so were we in your presence, O LORD.
We conceived and writhed in pain,
giving birth to wind;

We are allowed by the LORD to experience the futility of our efforts.  This can be a great blessing if, once exhausted, we finally turn to Jesus.  When we are so used to punishing ourselves his yoke can seem too easy.  But it is only here, only when we stop trying on our own and take his yoke instead, that we find rest.  We are meant to cast our cares on him because he cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7).

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

We still experience suffering.  But it is no longer something with which we punish ourselves, something which produces no lasting value.  Now, apart from our striving, God is able to do mighty things in and around us through the suffering we experience.  "We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies" (cf. Rom. 8:22-23).

We don't achieve this ourselves.  It isn't about beating ourselves up.  It is all about following Jesus.  We take the crosses that come, the ones which God has chosen for each of us, just as Jesus does.  We do so in the strength that he gives, not on our own.  We do so in peace and justice for we know that we don't achieve the results of the crosses on our own. We receive the new life from the deaths we experience, we do not achieve it.

But your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise;
awake and sing, you who lie in the dust.
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the land of shades gives birth.

The LORD cares for us.  He does not delight in our suffering.  He wants to bring about new birth from the labor pains of the world.  He does not delight in our adding to those pains.  There is a specific yoke he intends for us, only one.  When we choose anything else we become weary and heavily burdened.  When we choose his yoke we find that it is easy and light.  We finally find the rest for which we long.  Let us trust in his compassion!

You will arise and have mercy on Zion,
for it is time to pity her.
For her stones are dear to your servants,
and her dust moves them to pity.