From The Pastor’s Pen – By Brian Horrobin
Tomorrow marks another celebration of Labour Day.
It signals the official end of the summer holiday season and the beginning of the school year, but I digress.
In Canada, this holiday’s original purpose was for giving workers the chance to campaign for better working conditions and to celebrate workers’ rights during parades and picnics organized by trade unions.
Nowadays, though, it is more widely recognized as a long weekend to get one more ounce out of summer.
It is a good thing to rest from our labours.
The Lord did it on the 7th day of creation and established a weekly rest, called Sabbath.
In our productivity-driven world, however, rest does not always become readily available.
Besides physical rest there is also the issue of rest for our souls.
Jesus gave an incredible invitation to this end in Matthew 11:28-30.
He said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Yokes were used for combining two oxen to pull a plow and till a field.
They were neither easy nor light. But Jesus says that He will bear the weight and burden for us and give His yoke to us instead.
His yoke is not burdensome at all.
We can get all caught up with stuff and feel weighed down and heavy in heart, but the Lord offers an alternate solution.
Why are we not taking Him up on this fabulous offer, anyway?
Maybe that is something to think about this week.
