June 1 | Ephesians 4:17-24; Matthew 11:28-30
- Elaine Pierce
- Jun 1
- 2 min read
DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Rest and New Clothes
By Elaine Pierce
REFLECTION
My grandmother's favorite Bible verse was Matthew 11:28: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. I remember thinking something like this: 'how nice for her. I guess old people get weary and need to rest.' I couldn't relate. That was then....this is now and oh my, I long for that rest that can only come from Jesus.
Upon first reading these two passages, they didn't seem to go together. In Ephesians, Paul is reminding the church at Ephesus that they are no longer part of the secular world, and their lives must be made new - putting on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (v. 24). He makes it clear that the "old life," a continual lust for more, is over.
In Matthew 11, Jesus reminds his followers that those who consider themselves 'wise and learned' will not understand the gospel, and he tells them that "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 (v. 26)." The disciples had to be mulling that statement over - what does it mean? Could he be the Christ? And then he tells them that his yoke will be easy and his burden is light.
We are in this journey of faith together. We are bound up with the Body of Christ - brother and sister, father and mother, the family of God. Jesus does not promise us that it will be easy. But he does tell us that he will give us rest. Paul reminds us that we have a new self, and that new self is clothed in righteousness through Jesus' death and resurrection. Our burden is not one we carry alone. In fact, we can't do it by ourselves. We need each other, and most important, we need Jesus. The church can be messy and sinful, mostly because it is composed of all of us sinners. But this is God's plan, and he uses us for his glory, no matter how imperfect we are and how much we fall short.
PRAYER
Take some time to thank God for his easy yoke and light burden. Ask him for forgiveness, and ask him to clothe you in righteousness for his name's sake. Amen!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ELAINE PIERCE
It is a delight and joy to write Sunday's UALC Blog post. I have been a UALC member for 20+ years and I value our community of believers. I draw strength from God's Word, and it is my hope that you join me in seeking to grow closer to Him as we read, study, and pray together. I've been married to Gene for 47 years, and we have four grown children and nine grandchildren. It is an exciting time to be alive, and I count it all joy to serve him, even in the midst of challenges. To God be the glory, for the great things he is doing!
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