Stephen
Terry, Director
The Cost of Rest
Commentary
for the July 24, 2021, Sabbath School Lesson
"Who were they who
heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with
whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose
bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would
never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were
not able to enter, because of their unbelief," Hebrews 3:16-19, NIV
How do we describe
rest? Is it when we see a small child sleeping soundly and peacefully undisturbed?
Adults, especially those of advanced years, envy the child's ability to sleep
quickly and soundly. They are untroubled by the many things going on that will
shape their world, things they will discover with maturity and experience. But
eventually we all seem to get to the point where thoughts from our past,
unresolved challenges of the present, or worries about what the future may hold
keep us from the childlike slumber we once knew. It does not matter whether our
fears become reality, our minds seem reluctant to let go and let us sleep.
From the Bible, it
seems to have always been like this, ever since the fall in Eden. When Adam and
Eve's eyes were opened to what they had done with the forbidden fruit from the
Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, peace fled from them, and they could think
of no other solution than to hide themselves from the one they had betrayed.
Like a debtor avoiding a loan shark, they hoped to avoid detection. But that did
not happen. Maybe they feared God would hunt them down and kill them. That did not
happen either. Instead, knowing what had happened, God went through the garden
heartbroken, crying out for them. Anyone who has ever been betrayed by someone they
loved dearly must have an inkling of how that feels. It feels as though your
heart has been torn from your chest and cut to pieces. We are told that man was
created in God's image, and if that included the ability to love deeply then when
we feel the pain of betrayal and rejection, it is not too much of a stretch to
imagine what it must be like for God.
Hosea, the Prophet,
was called by God to show mankind what that betrayal was like, and in the
process, reveal God's character. In the book of Hosea, we are told that God
instructs the prophet to marry an immoral woman. That woman, Gomer, bore him a
daughter and two sons, and although the narrative does not detail how it
happened, she left her husband and ended up owned by another man. Hosea is then
instructed to go buy her and bring her back home with him. Again, we have no
details of how things went after that. But the message is clear. Despite mankind's
betrayal, God still wants us back. In an age when divorce has become
commonplace, this is hard for us to understand. To our way of thinking, the betraying
ex-spouse is evil, and we have little concern for their wellbeing. The pain of
the heartbreak still wells up when we think of them. We remember how painful
the initial betrayal was. Why would we risk going
through that again by welcoming them back as Hosea was told to do? Some,
craving the rest of the innocent that they once enjoyed and unable to live with
the heartbreak that has taken that rest from them, have gone as far as to end
their own life in depression and despair. But as difficult as it might be to
understand, this also illustrates the character of God.
God not only
understands betrayal and the heartbreak it brings. He understands the despair
and tells us that we do not need to let this carry us to the grave. Someone has
died the death of betrayal for us. God's only begotten Son has bled out his
life on the cross, betrayed by those who should have loved him and welcomed him
and the rest he offered. It was a tragic response to the love God offered through
Jesus. Yet in that tragedy was a way out for everyone touched by heartbreak and
betrayal. But it goes beyond that, for the betrayer as well, troubled by guilt
over choices they have made and how they have lived, can find rest in the arms
of Jesus, as well. We may find it hard to forgive our betrayer. We can never
know if they are truly remorseful and repentant over what they have done. But God
is not hindered by that, unlike us, he can see into the heart and what is the
disposition of their mind. This ability allowed him to willingly promise
redemption to Adam and Eve, and then to each of us as we come to him.
We do not need to
struggle alone with those things that continue to hurt our hearts, whether pain
at being betrayed, or the guilt plaguing the betrayer. We can give these things
to Christ, and the condemnation that robs us of rest can be nailed to the cross
that lifted him up between heaven and earth. Of course, we can reject that
offer, and many if not most do just that, but that choice will not bring the
peace and rest we crave. Instead, those things will go on hurting our minds and
hearts, robbing our sleep and our energy. These things may drastically shorten our
life spans even if we are not driven to suicidal despair. The choice to reject
God's offer is hard to understand. It can seem especially strange for those who
have accepted it and know its peace. God asks through the prophet Ezekiel, "Rid
yourselves of all the offenses you have committed and get a new heart and a new
spirit. Why will you die?" (Ezekiel 18:31, NIV)
When plagued by
poisonous snakes in the wilderness, many Israelites were dying from their venom.
God instructed Moses to hang a metal snake on a pole, and if the people were
bitten, all they needed to do was to look at that bronze serpent and they would
be saved. Some may feel that only an idiot would refuse to look considering it
was such a simple remedy. Yet, we are given an equally simple solution for our
aching hearts and minds. Jesus offers, "Come to me, all you who are weary and
burdened, 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."[i] The serpent was lifted on a
pole and offered salvation from the viper's bite. Jesus also was lifted up and
offers salvation from everything that is poisoning our lives. Why would we not
want that rest?
To be sure, mankind
has endured thousands of years of even so-called servants of God betraying
their brothers and sisters to obtain wealth, power, and control. They even did
this to Jesus and starkly illustrated that there is no salvation that such people
can provide, either in or out of the church. Their wealth, power, and control
cannot even save themselves on that day. It certainly cannot save those who
trust in them. It is not the way to rest. As Paul counseled Timothy, "Some
people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves
with many griefs."[ii]
That does not sound like the rest Jesus was offering. Jesus knew that many
would be tempted to look for relief from their troubles through the accumulation
of wealth, so he drove home the point, "You cannot serve both God and money."[iii]
When wealth becomes
our master, it comes with a brother, fear, fear that we will lose what we have
gained. That fear builds walls to secure what we feel is most important, our wealth.
But those same walls that keep others away from what we have horded, also keep
us from discovering the image of God in the rest of humanity. That image is not
reflected in the polished surfaces of platinum, gold, and silver. It is to be
found in the hearts of those who have found peace and rest living their lives
in the embrace of God's grace. Some would point to their riches and proclaim it
is to God's glory that they have such wealth, but Jesus responds, "Do you see
all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another;
every one will be thrown down."[iv]
Investment advisors will
often say it is wise to have a diverse portfolio of investments, because we do
not know whether this or that will prosper. But even that will not bring rest
and security, for everyone who has continues to look for more, trying to
discover that point when they finally feel safe. But that point never comes.
The only true rest can be found in Jesus. Despite the words of prosperity
preachers, he did not come to ensure we would have riches. He came to grant us
peace and rest. He knew that our greatest need was not more things but healed
hearts and minds. With such a simple and direct offer of healing, why do we
wait?