Prisoners of Unrest

You’ve probably heard of Christmas in July, but what about Palm Sunday in July? This weekend’s Old  Testament reading is from Zechariah 9, a prophecy about the Messiah coming as King, riding on a donkey. So why was that reading chosen for this time of year? During this non-festival season of the Church Year, the Old  Testament reading and Gospel reading reflect the same theme. In Zechariah’s prophecy, the Messiah will come to free prisoners. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 11, Jesus invites all who are weary and burdened to come to Him for rest. The connection? There are times when we find ourselves as prisoners of unrest. Jesus comes to change that. 

So what does it mean to be a prisoner of unrest? Have you ever found yourself unable to sleep in the middle of the night because your mind is racing in various directions? Have you ever found yourself “overtired” and have a hard time relaxing? How about feeling guilty because there is so much to do but you just can’t seem to accomplish it or feel overwhelmed by it all? 

Whatever the reason, all of us have been prisoners of unrest. So what does Jesus actually do? In a  sense, He rocks us to sleep as He holds us in His arms of love, much like a parent (or grandparent) with a little baby. As we immerse ourselves in His story in the Scriptures, we learn more of what it means to have a Savior instead of a helper – One who can truly understand us as we are and care for our needs not because He has to, but because He wants to. 

But just as little ones (and sometimes older ones) can fight sleep, so can we fight the rest that Jesus would offer as we continue to avoid coming to Him, sometimes out of fear or guilt over a specific sin, other times because we in our independence want to work things out for ourselves. Yet the invitation of our loving  Savior remains: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) How about joining us for restful worship this weekend?