Good morning. When we read Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28-30 we are immediately taken with the first sentence, Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest because that is an invitation we can all relate to. We all, from time to time, feel the weight of the world on our shoulders and can easily relate to being burdened and weary.
Come to me, all who labor and are 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.”
There are many things in this offer from Jesus which are wonderful to consider, but today I would like for us to think about His description of Himself, for I am gentle and humble in heart.
The word that is translated “gentle” is πραΰς (praus) and we see this word also used in Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” “Meek” is the typical way this word is translated, but it seems that the idea of Jesus being meek may have been an uncomfortable one for most of those who have translated the Word of God into English. I can understand that, because it is far easier to think of Jesus calling Himself “gentle” than it is for Him to say that He is “meek”. Meekness has a connotation of weakness in our usage of the word today. To be meek is to feel subservient, without power or resource.
Obviously, none of those ideas fit Jesus.
The problem is that we have a poor understanding of what being meek implies. The best effort at defining the word comes from the ancient Greek scholar, Aristotle. He said of meekness (πραΰς – praus) that it is only to be understood in the context of being the polar opposite of narcissistic. Aristotle’s teaching regarding the use of “meek” in the Greek language is that it was to be used of a person who looked first to the needs of others. That idea fits Jesus perfectly.
When we read the full sentence, it is made even more clear: for I am meek and humble in heart.
Jesus invites us to come to Him, to let Him carry the weight of our burdens. He invites us to trust Him, because He thinks first of our needs rather than of His own. He is the perfect example of humility.
Give Jesus your burdens today. He is meek, humble, and more than willing to carry you.
Vern