The hour calls for a Saviour
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” — Jesus in Matthew 11:28
“You know that this is the compulsiveness that keeps us going and busy, but at the same time makes us wonder whether we are getting anywhere in the long run. This is the way to spiritual exhaustion and burn-out.” — Henri Nouwen
The other day, I was walking past Gail’s—Britain’s latest beloved over-priced coffee chain—when I noticed one of their promotional posters.
It read:
The hour calls for a treat.
Now, I don’t want the rest of this email to sound like I’m having a go at people who buy nice cakes from Gail’s, partly because I’m one of them. It’s pricey, but their pistachio croissant is pretty incredible.
But when I saw that sign, I immediately thought to myself: Is that what the present moment we’re living through really calls for—another way of treating ourselves?
A society desperate for something more
We live in a world wrecked by Satan and sin, where injustice, violence and fear run rampant.
God’s good ways for human beings to flourish have been distorted and deserted—which means that life is hard.
For so many people, life simply amounts to a fight for survival—it's just about putting your head down and getting through it.
Against this backdrop, we can start living for the next ‘treat’—a cake, coffee, outfit, holiday, anything that will lift us momentarily out of our exhaustion to breathe, before we plunge back into the chaotic waters of work pressure, unpaid bills, rising living costs, fragile relationships and everything else that pulls us apart in every direction.
We long for something more than this way of existing. We wonder if there could be a better way of life—a way where we can finally feel whole, at peace, content.
But it’s easier just to get through today, with the dim hope of a ‘treat’ that will see us through until tomorrow.
The hour calls for a treat.
This isn’t new.
Among the crowds that followed Him and listened to His teaching, Jesus saw that the people were exhausted—burdened, broken, burnt-out from the hardships of everyday life.
And here’s what He said to them:
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and 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.” — Matthew 11:28–30
Rather than providing the people with a new means to escape or numb or indulge themselves in order to make it through life, Jesus offers them Himself.
He invites them to come to Him and rest, and to then exchange their heavy worldly yokes for His light and easy one.
He knows that the hour—the present moment that these people are living through—doesn’t call for a treat, but for Him.
And He delights in welcoming every weary and burdened person to come and rest with Him—in the infinite depths of His love, joy and peace.
The hour calls for a Saviour
Do you feel exhausted by the relentless pace, noise and busyness of modern life? Do you feel overwhelmed with every passing hour?
Are you living from ‘treat’ to ‘treat’ in an effort to make it through life with some semblance of satisfaction?
Friends, hear Jesus calling your name.
Come to me, and find rest for your soul.
He is everything you need and all that you desire. He is the strength you need to face difficult situations, the peace you need when anxiety rises within you, the joy you need when everything starts to feel hopeless, the rest you need when you can’t take another step.
The hour doesn’t call for a treat. It calls for a Saviour who offers you real, full, endless life in the here-and-now.
Jesus is that Saviour.
Come to Him, and let Him be your everything, every day.
Love,
Theo