Welcoming

Imagine you get an invitation to a friend's party. You show up at their house at the time specified in the invitation, but when you ring the doorbell, no one answers. After waiting a couple of minutes, you wonder if the doorbell is broken, so you try the door. Finding it unlocked, you decide to go on in. But upon entering, no one acknowledges you, not even your friend. And the only way you know you aren't invisible is because you notice the sideways glances in your direction. You'd feel pretty awkward, wouldn't you? The invitation was nice. But you also need the welcome.

Last week, as we kicked off our new blog series entitled The Heart of Christ, we saw that Jesus invites us into a relationship with Him. Thankfully, though, He doesn't stop with just an invitation. He goes the next step by welcoming us into a relationship with Him.

We see it in our key passage for this series, Matthew 11:28-30.

"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 lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, ESV)

Right after saying, "Come to me," Jesus clarifies who He is inviting to come... "all who labor." Are you working hard to put food on the table for your kids? Are you putting effort into schoolwork? Are you doing your best to live kindly toward classmates or coworkers? Are you giving your all towards someone or something? If so, you are laboring.

But Jesus doesn't end the invitation only for those who labor. He realizes laboring, whether physically, mentally, or emotionally, can feel hard and heavy. That is why His invitation continues to those who "are heavy laden."

The fact that Jesus specifically mentions those who work hard as they carry the weight of the world on their emotional shoulders means you are seen. You weren't just invited to the party and then ignored. You are seen by Jesus. You are known by God. You matter to Him.

May you not only accept the invitation to be in a relationship with Christ, but may you fall into His arms and let Him carry your burdens with you, because He welcomes all who "labor and are heavy laden."