“At that time Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.'” (Matthew 11:25-30)
The way I respond to those who reject me because of my relationship with Jesus reveals just how much I really trust Him. Right before this passage, Jesus had just spoken about Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, which were cities that had seen His miracles, yet rejected Him and refused to repent. But watch what Jesus did with that discouragement in verse twenty-five.
Jesus turns to His Father and gives thanks.
The first verse above says, “Jesus answered” [their rejection] and He began to give thanks to His Father. Jesus modeled our first move when we’re rejected: thanksgiving, which is a discipline of the mind and soul. And what does Jesus give thanks for? Well, He makes an incredibly inclusive statement that completely reorders how we can think about those who reject us—because of Him:
“I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.” (Matthew 11:25-26)
The word “wise” is describing self-reliance, the posture of someone who believes they can reason their way into the knowledge of God. In other words, those who reject us because we love Jesus, are foolishly rejecting the love message of the Gospel, and they…deserve our compassion. I know brilliant, highly credentialed people who refuse to place their trust in Christ. And yet—there are others who have almost no formal education, yet know the Lord intimately and manifest wisdom that is clearly from Him. The kingdom of God is not filtered by IQ, status, or meritocracy of intellect. It is open to those who come with open hearts.
This has taught me that my posture toward God should NOT be “let me figure this out,” but “Lord, teach me.” That is a childlike request. A child does not walk into a room and analyze; a child walks in and asks. This means I’m constantly having to unlearn a great deal of professional instinct—the instinct to solve, to argue, and to build a case—when what God is actually asking of me is simply to listen and trust. Then, in verse twenty-seven, Jesus gives us a reason to trust Him.
“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” (Matthew 11:27)
If we want to know what the Father is like, we should look at Jesus. He is not a philosophy, a feeling, or a set of rules assembled through human effort. Jesus is the exact revelation of the Father and offers us a priceless invitation—access to the Father through Himself. The gift of salvation is our golden key. Then Jesus offers us a Divine invitation to lay our burdens down:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
This is where religion is separated from relationship. Religion is a performance we place upon ourselves. It is built from pride and maintained through stress. It says, “Prove yourself, carry the weight, and do not stop moving, or the whole structure will collapse.” Isn’t this anxiety exactly what we see in those who reject us because of Jesus? We need to show them the peace and love of a relationship with Jesus based on God’s performance—not ours. He does the carrying. He gives the rest. The invitation is: “Come to Me. Trust Me. Lean on Me. Learn from Me. Walk with Me.” Jesus is the one bearing the weight of everything, and what remains for us to carry is done in His strength.
My friend, if you are discouraged, Jesus gives us the cure—Himself.
Confess your independence and the places you have taken back the burdens only God can carry. Ask Him to give you childlike faith. Dig into the promises in His Word. You will find real rest—not the absence of labor, but the presence of Christ in all the glorious and deeply satisfying plans He has for your life!
“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” (Psalm 139:16)
Prayer:
Father, I thank You that You are always the same, and I can trust You completely when I am rejected. Teach me to have compassion for those who reject me because they are really rejecting You. Teach me to pray for them with the open heart of a child rather than relying on my own understanding. I trust You. I lean on You. I ask You to teach me, and I choose to walk WITH You today. Thank You for the rest that only comes from You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
