Scripture Reading: Isa. 49:4-5; Matt. 11:25-30
Isaiah is one of the prophets who prophesied a great deal concerning Christ. In Isaiah 49:5 we see the work of the Lord on earth. Verse 4 tells us whether the Lord's work on earth was successful. What was God's purpose in sending the Lord Jesus to the earth? It was for the purpose of turning the house of Jacob back to God, to gather them to Him. But what was the result? Did he succeed? According to man's view, our Lord failed completely. The house of Jacob did not turn to Him, and the Israelites rejected Him, denied Him, and crucified Him on the cross. Even one of His disciples betrayed Him. This is why verse 4 says, "But I said, I have labored in vain;/I have used up my strength for nothing and vanity." Brothers and sisters, in these circumstances — being despised by men on earth, with no result in the work, and seemingly having accomplished nothing for God's will — we surely would have wept in sorrow. Even if we had not wept, we surely would have been sad, and even if we had not been sad, at the very least, we would have become passive. But our Lord was different. After He said, "I have labored in vain;/I have used up my strength for nothing and vanity," He said, "Yet surely the justice due to me is with Jehovah,/And my recompense with my God." Although He did not gain what He hoped for and missed what He yearned for, His justice was with Jehovah. Although He had labored much and there did not seem to be any result in the work, His justice was with Jehovah. In other words, whether or not He was treated justly was something up to Jehovah. "My recompense [is] with my God." Although He could not obtain anything from the house of Jacob or from the Israelites, He would receive His reward from the Lord. Therefore, He was satisfied; He did not complain, weep, or grieve. This is the Lord's attitude.
Brothers and sisters, this shows us one thing — we cannot be directly related to our work; we can only be directly related to God. We cannot be directly connected to affairs or people; we can only be directly connected to God. Whenever we are directly related to work, affairs, and people, we will feel hurt, weep, and suffer as soon as we encounter difficulties and adversities. But if we are directly related to God, we will rejoice when we are rejected. Even when difficulties arise and everything seems to have failed, we will be able to rejoice. If we are directly related to God, no success or failure will touch us. We will only care for one thing — whether or not the justice due to us is with the Lord and whether our recompense is with Him. If our justice is with the Lord, our recompense will be with Him also.
Matthew 11 speaks of the Lord's experience and attitude on earth; it matches the record of Isaiah 49. The entire chapter is about heartbreaking matters. First, John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask the Lord Jesus: "Are You the Coming One, or should we expect another?" (v. 3). This meant: "Are You the Messiah? Are You the Christ?" The forerunner of Jesus was now in doubt as to whether He was the Coming One! According to man, this was a very disappointing response.
John the Baptist came neither eating nor drinking, and men said that he had a demon. The Son of Man came eating and drinking; He came among men, communicated with men, and desired to save men. No one should have had anything to say about Him, yet they said that He was a gluttonous man and a drunkard. One group criticized people both for eating and for not eating; they always had something to say one way or the other. Another group had a lust for talking; they always found things to criticize no matter what our Lord did. They could always find something to say about Him. The Lord's forerunner was reviled as being possessed by demons, and the Lord Jesus was criticized as being a gluttonous man and a drunkard. He performed many miracles in Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin. But in the end, the people of Capernaum would not receive Him, and the men of Chorazin and Bethsaida rejected Him. Everything in Matthew 11 shows us the Lord as One who was distrusted, reviled, and rejected.
Brothers and sisters, what would you do if you encountered such a series of difficulties in your life, your work, or among your acquaintances? You would inevitably feel heartbroken and discouraged; you would feel that everything was over. But our Lord was different. The Bible speaks of His attitude: "At that time Jesus answered and said, I extol You, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for thus it has been well-pleasing in Your sight" (vv. 25-26). "At that time" means at that very moment. Under these circumstances and at the moment that He was doubted, reviled, and rejected, our Lord was able to say, "I extol You, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth." He had no bitterness, hatred, indignation, or wrath in His heart, and He could say, "I extol You, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth." Brothers and sisters, when you are being doubted, reviled, and rejected without a cause, can you extol the Lord? The time to extol Him is not when we gain something. The time to extol Him is not when our work is prosperous and we are welcomed and admired by many. We should extol Him when we are being doubted, reviled, and rejected for no reason. Brothers and sisters, can you extol Him at such times?
Our Lord extolled God here. What did He say? He said, "I extol You, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants." Here is the greatest comfort: "Yes, Father, for thus it has been well-pleasing in Your sight." Since it was well-pleasing in the Father's sight, what more need be said? For the Lord Jesus, it was well-pleasing in the Father's sight for John to doubt Him. It was well-pleasing in the Father's sight for others to criticize Him as a gluttonous man and a drunkard. It was also well-pleasing in the Father's sight for the men of Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin to reject Him. He was satisfied with whatever was well-pleasing in the Father's sight. Therefore, He could say, "I extol You, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth." Many times, we cannot say, "Father." It seems as if we no longer believe that our God is our Father. Yet our Lord could say, "Father." He still felt that the Father was very near to Him. We often cannot say, "Lord of heaven and of earth." It seems as if we no longer believe that there is a Lord in heaven and on earth. Yet our Lord was satisfied with whatever was well-pleasing in the Father's sight. Therefore, He could say, "Father, Lord of heaven and of earth." He saw that everything was according to the Father's good pleasure. Therefore, He could say, "Yes, Father, for thus it has been well-pleasing in Your sight." Brothers and sisters, can you say, "Yes, Father, for thus it has been well-pleasing in Your sight"? Are you sorrowful, sad, and heartbroken just because you are misunderstood and facing difficulties? Can you utter a word of thanksgiving as a result of satisfaction in God's good pleasure? Can you say to God, "Yes, Father, for thus it has been well-pleasing in Your sight"? Brothers and sisters, can you say this?
Following this, our Lord said something as a kind of explanation. It explained why He could say what He said. He said, "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one fully knows the Son except the Father" (v. 27a). As long as the Father knew, that was enough. It did not matter that the men of Chorazin knew not. It did not matter that the men of Bethsaida or Capernaum knew not. It did not matter that the whole house of Jacob and all the Israelites, including all those who received help from Him, knew not. It even did not matter whether John misunderstood Him. There was only one thing which was important: "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one fully knows the Son except the Father." As long as the Father knew, that was enough. Brothers and sisters, God knows. Is that enough for you? Or do you need John to know or the whole house of Jacob and all the Israelites to know you? Do you need the men of Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin to know you? Brothers and sisters, is it enough for God to know you? It is true that you cannot be without your brothers and sisters, but when no one knows you, you should be satisfied with living before God and being known by the Father only.
The Lord Jesus could say, "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father." Brothers and sisters, have all things been delivered to you by the Father? Or have all things been delivered to you by men? Can you say, "Father, everything I have is from You"? Can you say, "Father, I only want what is from You; I ask for nothing from men"? If you can say this, you can be at rest, and you can give praise.
The Lord said, "No one fully knows the Son except the Father." He also said, "Neither does anyone fully know the Father except the Son and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him" (v. 27b). Only those who are willing to be known by God alone will know God, and only those who know God can lead others to the knowledge of God. Those who do not know the Father cannot lead others to the knowledge of the Father. Brothers and sisters, have you ever tried to help others and lead others to the knowledge of the Father? Why does your word not carry weight or move others? It is because what you have is not from the Father only. You feel that what you have from the Father is not enough; you are not content with what the Father has delivered to you. You still hope to gain something from men. If you are such a person, you cannot say that you are known by no one except the Father. Brothers and sisters, is it enough that you are known by God alone? If it is truly enough, then everything is all right. If you are satisfied with being known by God alone, you will know God. Only those who are known by God will know God, and only those who know God can lead others to the knowledge of God.
Brothers and sisters, if we are far from God, we cannot know Him. We do not know God because we care too much for human affection and are too weighed down by many things. We cannot lead others to the knowledge of God because we have received too much comfort and glory from men. If our heart is filled with all kinds of things apart from God, we will not know God. We have to remember the Lord's word, which says, "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one fully knows the Son except the Father; neither does anyone fully know the Father except the Son and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." Brothers and sisters, if we drop all the things that are in our heart, we will know Him, and we will be able to lead others to the knowledge of Him; our heart will be pure, and those who have a pure heart will see God (Matt. 5:8).
After the Lord said this, He gave us a very comforting word: "Come to Me all who toil and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (11:28-30). Our Lord showed us His own experience. He left us with a pattern and showed us how He found rest so that we can find rest also.
"Come to Me all who toil and are burdened, and I will give you rest." Brothers and sisters, do you feel a heavy burden on you? Are you struggling day and night? Do you feel unhappy in your heart? The Lord is speaking to you, "Come. Come to Me, and I will give you rest." Do you have many worries? Do you have many burdens which you cannot bear? Are you grieving over your many failures? The Lord says to come to Him, and He will give us rest.
How does the Lord give us rest? He places Himself in front of us so that we can see His pattern. He says, "I am meek and lowly in heart." What is being meek? A brother once illustrated meekness this way: "Meekness is like the flax bumper on the side of the steamer boats. When a steamer comes close to the pier, if there is nothing between the hard boards of the boat and the hard poles of the pier, one of the two will break. But if flax bumpers are placed in between them, both will hit the bumpers only, and nothing will break." Brothers and sisters, this is meekness. If both sides are hard, neither side should touch the other. But if something soft is put between them, both sides will be preserved. Others may be hard, but if you are soft, you can withstand any bumping; they can bump as much as they like. The Lord said that He is meek. This means that He can withstand any bumping. Brothers and sisters, are you meek? You often want to have something, and you will not give up until you have it. You insist on having what you want, and no power can change you. Even God cannot change you. This is not being meek. What is being meek? Being meek is being changeable; it means taking what God wants you to take. It means being satisfied when you have something and being equally satisfied when you do not have something. When you have it, you can sing hallelujah and praise the Lord. When you do not have it, you can also sing hallelujah and praise the Lord. Being meek is being pliable enough to allow God to change your decision according to His will. Brothers and sisters, can God's will change your will? Can you change your decision, your desire, your hope, and your pursuit when God disapproves of them? You confess that God loves you, but when He does not give you what you want, will you be satisfied? Can you sing hallelujah? Brothers and sisters, a meek heart is an obedient heart. Being meek is not insisting on one's own will, not persisting with one's own proposals, and not demanding what one wants. A meek person changes when God changes and turns when God turns. Whatever God wants to do, he agrees. Whoever is like this will find rest.
Brothers and sisters, rest is precious. Many Christians live on earth without any rest; they are frequently dissatisfied and always complaining. This is their condition because they always have unfulfilled demands and desires. The Lord showed us, however, that the condition for rest is meekness. Sometimes God's way is in conflict with our way. If we are willing to turn, we will say, "God, I yield." If we do not yield, we are not meek. Brothers and sisters, we must be meek. If our heart is not meek, we cannot find rest. We must remember that meekness is the first condition for rest.
The Lord Jesus was not only meek but also lowly in heart. We often have wild thoughts and fleshly desires. We have vain hopes and fruitless schemes. We often compare ourselves to other brothers and sisters, and we are not happy when they are ahead of us; we want to be taller and greater than they are. Our thoughts are filled with pride and boasting. We are not lowly in heart, and we are not like the Lord Jesus. Our Lord is meek and lowly in heart. His eyes are not haughty, and He never hopes to gain anything for Himself. He is willing to accept everything from God. He can say that it is enough, and He is satisfied. This is being meek and lowly in heart. Brothers and sisters, are you satisfied with what God has given you? Or do you constantly covet more and greater things? Is God's provision enough for you? Or do you insist on your way concerning certain things and affairs? Brothers and sisters, God is after those who are lowly in heart. Many people have great ambitions and aspirations, but these things do not count in God's eyes, and God cannot use such ones. They are not lowly in heart, and they do not have rest. They do not have any rest because they are not satisfied with what God has given them.
Brothers and sisters, can your decisions be changed? Can you change your mind and drop your proposals and your hope for God's sake? If you are ambitious and aspiring and if you are always after this thing and that thing, you are not meek and lowly in heart. A meek person accepts whatever God gives him. He can say hallelujah and praise the Lord for whatever He gives him. Our Lord Jesus is meek; He is pliable before God. Our Lord Jesus is also lowly in heart; He does not demand anything for Himself. Only those who are meek can be led by God, and only those who are lowly in heart can satisfy God's desire.
The Lord said, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me...and you will find rest for your souls." The Lord's own experience shows us that we have to take His yoke and learn from Him in order to find rest. Our biggest problem is that we often despise God's will. As a result, we find no rest for our soul and are not joyful. There are two kinds of joy in the Bible. One is the joy of believing in God's grace. The other is the joy of obeying God's will. We have believed in God's grace, but are we willing to obey His will? Brothers and sisters, is there any unhappiness in our heart? Is there any dissatisfaction in us? Are we murmuring against something which is contrary to our wish? If any of these things are in us, it means that we have not submitted to God's will. All those who have some experience can testify that nothing is more joyful than consecration, and nothing brings more happiness than placing oneself in the Lord's hand and under His direction. If we are not joyful and satisfied in heart, the only possible reason for this is that we have not taken the Lord's yoke and learned from Him. This kind of joy is a deeper joy, in which everything we have is delivered to us by the Father, and we can say, "Yes, Father, whatever You decide is the best." This is what we see from our Lord's experience.
Brothers and sisters, if you do not have rest or joy, it is because there is something within you that you will not let go. It may not be certain particular things, but there is always something. Some people are very depressed because there are troubles going on within them. Brothers and sisters, is there any trouble going on within you? Is there anything that you dare not ask the Lord about? Is there anything that you dare not think about? Many Christians dare not look into themselves for fear that they will find problems. Many Christians try to run away when God touches them; they dare not sit still and think for a few minutes. They struggle and keep themselves occupied; they cannot find rest and do not have any joy. Brothers and sisters, if you are truly taking the Lord's yoke and learning from Him, you will be filled with peace and praise. A brother was once packing up his luggage and leaving his hometown to go to another place to preach the gospel. As he was leaving, he said, "From now on, I leave behind my kinfolk, my family, and my friends." Then he said, "I am now the happiest man on earth!" Brothers and sisters, perhaps you only know the joy of salvation, but this brother knew the joy of consecration. Indeed, our heart often may be grieving, but our mouth is filled with praise. What a pity that the praise of many Christians is blocked by many things! This does not necessarily mean that there is sin. It means that they have too many things apart from God. If we allow the Lord to remove these things, our heart will find rest, and we will be filled with joy.
Many brothers and sisters have too deep of a relationship with man. Their relationship with man is deeper than their relationship with God. One day, when they lose this human love and care, they lose their rest and joy. Brothers and sisters, if you encountered unending misunderstanding, reviling, and rejection like the Lord, how would you feel? What would you say? Some would begin to reason and argue with the Lord, and they would lose their rest and joy. But if they would come before the Lord and say, "Lord, I say yes and amen to all the things that you have allowed to come upon me," they would immediately be filled with heavenly rest and joy.
A brother was walking along a wilderness path one night under the moonlight, and God said to him pointedly, "What would you do if I take away your beloved one?" He answered, "Lord, I cannot accept this." The Lord said, "You are weak, and you cannot accept it. But if I make you able to accept it, what will you say?" He said, "Lord, I thank You and praise You because I cannot make it, but You can make it." He allowed God to do His work and was willing to submit to His will. He wept and consecrated himself to God. The strange thing was that once he submitted, he was immediately filled with heavenly joy and peace. Brothers and sisters, have you ever tasted the heavenly joy and peace? The Lord is waiting to give you the heavenly joy and peace. The question is whether or not you are willing to take His yoke and learn from Him. You have not received the Lord's blessing and His blessing still has not flowed to others through you because you are still unhappy with His demands. The Lord said, "My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Brothers and sisters, do you believe in this word? Those who do not know God will say that God is harsh, that He reaps where He has not sowed and gathers where He has not scattered. But those who know God will say that His yoke is easy and His burden light.
But the strange thing is that many of God's children are afraid of hearing about His will. They can sing hallelujah when they hear about God's love, wisdom, and power. But they are afraid to hear about God's will. What happened with our Lord? He did not call God's will His will; He called it "well-pleasing in Your sight." To the Lord, all of God's will is well-pleasing. Brothers and sisters, we have to believe in God's love. We have to believe that He loves us. This will put our heart at ease no matter what we encounter. Many times we ask for fish, and it seems that God has given us serpents. We ask for bread, and it seems that God has given us stones. We ask why God has given us a serpent when we asked for fish, and why He has given us a stone when we asked for bread. But, many times, when we think that we are asking for fish, we are actually asking for a serpent. What God gives us may look like a serpent, but it is actually fish. Many times when we think we are asking for bread we are actually asking for a stone. What God gives us may look like a stone but it is actually bread. We often think that God has not answered our prayer. We think that God does not love us. Actually, He is giving us the best thing. Our God is never wrong. The trouble is that many people do not believe in God's love. We need to remember that God causes heartbreaking things and difficulties to come upon us because He wants to perfect us and give the best things to us, not because He does not love us. If we believe that everything is well-pleasing in God's sight, we will sing with tears in our eyes.
We should not only believe in God's love but also in His wisdom. He loves us, and He knows everything. His love never changes, and His wisdom never errs. Nothing will come upon us that is not profitable for us. God's power will bring us through everything we need to go through, and this power will enable us to bear the burdens that come upon us. Therefore, we can say before the Lord, "Thank the Lord. Praise Him because His will is never wrong." Praising God for His grace is initial praise; praising Him for His will is mature praise. Initial praise is praising Him for what we have; mature praise is praising Him for what we lose. Brothers and sisters, we can rest, and we can rejoice because in everything we see God's love, His wisdom, and His power.
In the book The Streams in the Desert (Oct. 24), there is this passage: "A piece of iron that is worth five dollars will be worth $10 when it is cast into a horseshoe. If it is made into needles, it will be worth $350. If it is made into fine blades, it will be worth $32,000, and if it is made into springs inside watches, it will be worth $250,000." Brothers and sisters, have you seen this? What is the difference between a piece of iron worth $10, $350, $32,000, and $250,000? It is the same material, but after many trials and much beating, it becomes stronger, more pliable, and more valuable. In order to make us more valuable, God brings us through many trials and beatings. In order to become a useful and valuable vessel before the Lord, we must not bemoan the things that God has allowed to come upon us. Instead, we should rejoice and rest. We should say to the Lord, "Father, I thank You, because everything You have allowed to come upon me is good." If we submit to the will of God, our heart will find rest, and we will be filled with joy. Our mouth will be full of praise, and our burden will no longer be a burden.
Brothers and sisters, we have seen that our Lord possessed a deeper joy because He believed that "the justice due to me is with Jehovah, and my recompense with my God." He believed that "it has been well-pleasing in Your sight." He told us clearly that we would find rest for our souls if we took His yoke and learned from Him. Brothers and sisters, if we want to partake of this deeper joy, we should believe in His word, take His yoke, and learn from Him. Thank the Lord that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
