Seeking and Finding rest
Mat 11:29: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
In our previous study we explored finding rest in Christ through that initial rest which delivers us from sin’s burden. Now Jesus points us to a deeper rest, one we must actively seek. How do we find it?
1. The Initial Rest: Pardon, Power, and Freedom
In that first rest the soul experiences:
- Pardon and acceptance into the Father’s house—no longer a wanderer but a beloved child (the prodigal’s welcome).
- Release from the burden, power, and guilt of sin.
- Freedom from sin’s service, breaking its grip on our lives.
2. Seeking the Deeper Rest: An Active Pursuit
Jesus describes this new rest as one to be found—implying it must be sought. Consider a young man passionately pursuing a godly wife: he investigates, courts, and perseveres until he finds her. Scripture affirms, “He that finds a wife finds a good thing” (Prov 18:22). Likewise, “He that seeks, finds” (Matt 7:8). Rest unto your soul awaits those who earnestly seek it, not passively wait.
3. The Yoke of Christ: A Voluntary Path to Service
> “Take my yoke upon you…”
In Scripture a yoke symbolizes service and submission:
Gen 27:40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
1Ki 12:4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
Christ’s yoke, by contrast, is a gentle invitation. To find soul-rest, we choose to enter His service—becoming co-workers with Him, not slaves under sin.
The service of God, unlike that of Satan, is entirely of free choice. The devil compels men to enter his service, and will, like Pharaoh, not let them go. But the Lord, contrarily, persuades men to enter his service, and if they tire of His service, will not compel them to remain in it. “Take my yoke upon you” are his words of gentle invitation in which is enfolded our greatest good.
4. Learning from the Master: Our Lifelong Apprenticeship
> “…and learn of me.”
The governments of men often lay burdens upon their people that are hard to endure. Those who craft the laws dwell in sumptuous luxury — erecting grand palaces, chartering private jets, and indulging in designer excess — while the very families they govern scrape by in modest — and sometimes squalid —circumstances. None of these rulers would dare to say to their subjects, “Learn of me,” for such an assertion would spark a revolt, much as it did on the streets of Paris in 1789.
Consider Kenya’s National Youth Service scandal, where billions of shillings meant for vocational training and youth outreach were siphoned into inflated contracts, luxury vehicles, and the private accounts of senior officials — even as unemployed graduates watched their hopes fade and youth centres fell into disrepair.
Only the Savior could extend that invitation without a hint of contradiction. His life was one of total consecration and sacrificial service—living not for Himself, but to glorify God and uplift humanity. Wherever He went, He brought life, light, and healing: “going about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” —Acts 10:38
“Learn of me” is more than an invitation — it’s an offer of partnership, fellowship, and shared service. The Lord calls us into His school as humble apprentices, just as He taught the Twelve through word and deed. Like them, we will often feel ignorant, doubtful, and slow to learn. Yet our Master, in limitless patience, bears with our frailties and gently molds our character day by day.
This is a lifelong apprenticeship: though we advance continually in His training, we never graduate beyond the need for the Master’s guidance. Our textbook is the Scriptures, and the Lord Himself, through His Spirit, is our Instructor. True growth springs from an ongoing commitment to communion with Him, for in that intimate fellowship He reveals His nature and imparts Himself to every earnest learner.
5. Meekness and Lowliness: Foundations of Soul-Rest
> “…for I am meek and lowly in heart.”
Christ’s very invitation rests on His gentleness and humility. Too often we imagine that serving Him means relentless toil and unending burden, visions that mirror the fearful servant in the parable of the talents who buried his gift rather than face a stern master. But if we truly grasp our Lord’s character—His gentle condescension and tender humility—we will gladly take up His yoke. The One who bids us serve did not consider it beneath Him to wash His disciples’ feet, extending even to His betrayer the highest tokens of love by inviting him to recline first at the table.
6. God’s Gentle Care: Reward for the Faithful Worker
Paul underscores God’s kindness toward those who serve Him by pointing to an interesting rule in the Jewish economy governing the manner of harvest:
1Co 9:9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle the ox that is treading out corn.” Is it because God is concerned for oxen?
He then asks: if God made a law to protect the rights of a beast of burden—ensuring that the ox receives its due share of the harvest — how much more will He care for people made in His image, who invest sweat, skill, and patience in the work of His kingdom? If an ox, dumb and unreasoning, is worthy of reward, surely the faithful labourer, who buys the plow, sows the seed, weeds the field, and watches over the crop, is worth far more — and can trust that God will not let their effort go unrewarded.
7. Living in Restfulness
> “…ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
This is a rest you can make your own — by choosing to serve Christ, daily learning from Him in the scriptures and through his created works, and abiding in prayerful communion with the Father. Neglect any of these, and you risk wandering like Israel in the wilderness, never tasting the fullness of soul-rest. May each of us yield to His gentle yoke and discover the deep peace our hearts long for.
Conclusion
In these two studies we’ve seen how our Savior extends to us both a rest that is freely given and a rest that must be actively pursued.
First, Christ’s invitation “Come unto me… and I will give you rest” meets us in our deepest need—sin’s burden, guilt, and slavery. He who bore our iniquities offers pardon, breaks sin’s grip, and welcomes us home as children of the Father, no longer under condemnation but free to walk in newness of life.
But He does not stop there. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me… and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” This deeper rest requires a willing yoke of service —an apprenticeship under the gentle, lowly Master. As we submit to His teaching, embrace His humility, and labor in His kingdom, we discover that His yoke is easy and His burden light. Like an ox receiving its due share of the harvest, we find that the faithful worker in Christ’s field is both cared for and richly rewarded.
May we, then, both come to receive His gift of rest and take up His yoke of fellowship, that our souls may abide in peace and purpose — resting not in our own strength but in the living, sustaining grace of Jesus.
