You Who Are Burdened

"All you who labor and are heavy laden!"  The NIV translation states it this way: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."  The invitation from Jesus to a burdened human race could not have been more heartfelt and filled with compassion. Evidently Jesus directed His invitation to those who were burdened. Whenever we hear the words 'burdened,' 'to load up,' 'to unload,' we inevitably think about heavy loads. 

Many of us still remember the burdensome war and the postwar years. Driven by hardship and fear, people from various nationalities traveled over wide stretches of land. We saw thousands looking for escape routes and food. People carried very heavy visible burdens. Jesus speaks of the invisible, hidden burdens. He sees the burdens most do not see. His compassion caused Him to say: "Come to me, all you who labor!"

There have always been burdened people, even today. Many, through their own fault have burdened their hearts and conscience. Even a child carries a burden after having said his first lie or committing his first theft. Who can imagine what is going on in that child's heart? Who can describe the burden and deep unhappiness that places itself on the heart of this poor young child because of the guilt?  This is sometimes the start of burdening our hearts and lives with unrighteousness and sin. We can never get rid of our burdened consciences on our own. Can we recognize how important Jesus' statement was: "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden!"?  

Jesus might have also been thinking of those who have been burdened by others. For example, to achieve a certain piety, the Pharisees and Scribes burdened the people with their man-made laws and rules. Jesus said: " For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers" (Matthew 23:4). These man-made laws do not set us free. They cannot remove the inner burdens and give our souls peace, nor our conscience rest. We cannot atone our sin on our own nor resolve it with good works. That is why Jesus stated: "Come to Me, I will give you rest." 

We can also be burdened by various circumstances in our life. For example, there are the everyday worries, family and marriage issues, the threatening conditions of our world, work and illness issues, burdens that have occurred through poor decisions and omissions, by annoyances and sorrows, and even the loss of our loved ones.  

We can all become burdened. Where do we bring our burdens and pain? Where can we lay down our load?  Jesus gives us this place: "Come to Me!" 

  In a little story I read, a nurse phoned her best friend late at night and asked her to pray for one of her patients who would be having surgery the next day. "Thank you for letting me know," said her friend, "but is there something else bothering you?"  The nurse tried to evade answering but there was a lot on her heart that was burdening her. Her friend noticed it and said: "Tomorrow we are having devotions. I will expect you. Bring your burdens along to unload.  We will pray together. Now go to bed and do not trouble yourself anymore!"

"Bring your burdens along to unload!" This stuck with her and gave comfort. Loved ones, there is a place where we can "unload" so that we can have deliverance and consolation from all sorrows.

Are you burdened with guilt and pain? Is your heart sad, empty, and tired? Take Jesus' invitation to heart: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest!" Jesus is calling you who are burdened. You may come and "unload"! 

Friedrich Krebs