We’re probably not going to make it as a soccer family. We’ve tried, but our kids just don’t seem to click with it. There was one game where our son, who was 4 at the time, got possession of the ball and enthusiastically started dribbling it down the field … toward the wrong goal. From the sidelines, we waved our arms frantically and shouted, “Turn around! You need to go the other way!” But he was so locked in on his direction that he didn’t hear us and eventually scored a goal for the other team.
In today’s reading, we see the communities of Jesus’ time—Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum—compared to ancient cities infamous for their wickedness: Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom. Jesus reminds them that he had performed many miracles among them, including the healing of a Roman officer’s servant (Matthew 8). While some, like Peter, Andrew, and Matthew, left everything to follow him, many in those towns refused to turn toward God and receive forgiveness.
In his rebuke, it is almost as if Jesus is saying, “I have been calling out to you. I have been waving my arms! But you are running in the wrong direction.” The seriousness of his tone can surprise us, but when we sit with this text, we see that Jesus isn’t motivated by anger at their rejection of him but by his intense love for them. In 2 Peter 3:9, it says, “No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but he wants everyone to repent.”
The same intense love of Jesus that compels him to call out for repentance is the same love that calls out, “Come to me” in Matthew 11:28-30. To those who turn to him, he promises, “I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear and the burden I give you is light.”
Sometimes the word repentance feels heavy, like we’ve really messed up and failed. But in the invitation to repent, there is truth and grace, not shame. As followers of Jesus, repentance isn’t a big one-time event, but a daily invitation to turn our lives again toward Jesus to receive his rest.
During this season of Lent, we are invited into a time where we intentionally dial down the volume of all the voices in our lives that compete for our attention, loyalty, and time. We are invited to quietly remember that Jesus doesn’t shame us but calls us into a life full of freedom and rest.
Reflection:
- Matthew 11:28-30 offers rest from heavy burdens, unity with Christ, humble and gentle teaching from Jesus, and rest for your soul. What do you sense is your biggest need from Jesus right now?
- In what area of your life might you find rest by turning toward Jesus today?