Thursday 19th July, 2012
Isaiah 26:7–9, 12, 16–19. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth—Ps 101(102):13–21. Matthew 11:28–30.

  
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‘Come ... I will give you rest.’

Today we receive an invitation in a short but packed passage in Matthew’s gospel. In yesterday’s text we saw Jesus as the One who knows God as Father, and now Jesus invites us to a deep friendship, the friendship we experience in the quiet of our prayer. We may recall that Jesus was very conscious of the burdens imposed by religious leaders but now he invites his hearers—and us—to turn to him with whatever may burden them and he will give them rest.

For ourselves, we know that our sense of Jesus being with us and strengthening us and loving us gives special meaning to that word ‘rest’. When our hearts are thus engaged they are active rather than resting, and, at the same time, at peace rather than stressed.