Matthew 11:28 Is Cool, But What About Matthew 11:29?

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Dear Reader,

Growing up, John 3:16 was perhaps the Bible verse people threw around (and still do). But much of what people quote now, is perhaps Matthew 11:28, where Jesus says, “Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Popularized by the likes of pastor-authors such as John Mark Comer and Dane Ortlund, Matthew 11:28 has become the new John 3:16 for our generation of believers.

Which makes sense, at least for many Western Christians, who have lived under the clouds of “hustle culture” which took hold of the American zeitgeist for over a decade and then seeped into the Church. In light of this, Matthew 11:28 was the verse many of us didn’t know we needed. This verse, which was really an invitation from Jesus, also presented itself as a reminder for many of us, that rest is so much more than a nice after-church Sunday nap, and we ought to enjoy it while also intentionally pursue it within our lives.

But hear me out when I say this: Matthew 11:28 is great, but just read one verse more and you’ll find Matthew 11:29, the verse which truly captivated my heart.

Here’s why.

Verse 29 reads,

²⁹ “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.”

I can’t remember where, but I recall reading somewhere that this is the only place in the Gospel accounts where Jesus explicitly states the status and content of His heart; Jesus’ heart is gentle and lowly.

It is not hurried and rushed.

It is not bombastic nor proud.

It is not ridiculing nor malicious.

It is gentle and lowly.

How magnificent is that? Not only magnificent because we hear Jesus’ heart is gentle and lowly, but we get to hear from Jesus Himself, about what He is like within. The guessing game for knowing who Jesus is, is over. He is gentle and lowly.

And in verse 30, He essentially tells His audience why His heart is gentle and lowly. It is because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. And what exactly was His yoke? I personally believe Jesus’ yoke to be summed up in Matthew 22:37-39, where He says:

“³⁷ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^”

Jesus’ yoke was the supreme ethic of love.

All of the Laws and the prophets hung on these two commands (Mt. 22:40): to love God and love neighbor.

This is why Jesus could boldly teach His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

This is why Jesus could boldly say His heart is gentle and lowly.

It is because the agape form of love - an unconditional, unwavering, and faithful type of love for His Father and for His neighbor - was the gas that fueled the engine of His heart.

Jesus saw the heavy and burdensome yoke of how the Jewish Law was being used by His fellow Rabbinic colleagues over the Jewish people. My guess is that this way of teaching the Jewish Law was creating hearts within people that grew anxious, agitated, and maybe even aggressive.

Isn’t that what striving and earning can do within us when not carefully watched? Let alone spiritual striving and spiritual earning? When there is a fear we will be left behind by the world or even worse, left behind by God, if we do not do enough - if we are not enough?

If an agape type of love breeds gentleness because one is fully seen, heard, cared for, and cherished, then striving and earning must breed harshness because at the bottom of the barrel of striving and earning is the message that you are not enough.

All of us have faced, are currently facing, or will face the inner struggle of believing we are not enough. The question is, how will you react to that? For some, we will react by powering up, lowering our shoulder, and barreling through our goals to feel some semblance of worth, but in the end run the risk of harming others and even ourselves.

For others, we’ll bail altogether and run away for fear of failure or fear of feeling like we are not enough even more, but in the end run the risk of feeding that very fear.

And for some of us, we will answer the invitation from Jesus to put on His yoke of agape. To know we are loved and are called to love. And for those who put on His yoke, there is a risk that Jesus talks about (the world hating us), but the reward is sweet: a gentle and lowly heart like His.

So dear reader, may you take on His yoke today, tomorrow, this weekend, and forevermore and may you experience your heart becoming gentle like His.

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As we are talking about “Gentle Rhythms” for the month of September, I want to leave you, dear reader and friend, with a few questions to help you foster and curate a rhythm of life that is gentle to your heart, mind, body, and soul.

1. In what areas do you find yourself to be spiritually striving (Ex. to attain some level of respect within a ministry community, to do something in order to earn back God’s love after a habitual sin, etc.) and what is it doing to your heart?

2. What are some shifts in your daily or weekly schedule you can make to create more margin to slow down and foster a gentle heart toward yourself and others?

3. How can you remind yourself today that you are loved by God with an agape type of love - one that is unconditional, unwavering, and faithful?