The Most Comforting Passage

2 Timothy 2:13, Romans 4:5, Matthew 11:28

Watch on YouTube – Watch on Facebook

The passages that I personally find most comforting in the Bible are passages that make me look weak and small and that make God look great and powerful. I think of passages like 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 13 which says

If we are faithless, he remains faithful, because he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)

Or a passage like Romans 4 verse 5 that says

But to the person who does not work but believes in the God who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness. (Romans 4:5)

I find so much comfort in those passages because so often I feel like I’m the one who has been faithless to God or I’m the one who has failed to do what God has required me to do or I’ve acted ungodly. Yet he comforts me that he is faithful to his promises. He comforts me that he justifies me not by my works but through faith.

You know another such passage that I find incredible comfort in is Jesus’ own words in Matthew chapter 11 verse 28 when he says this

“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Jesus doesn’t say “come to me all you heroic Christians who are so awesome at what you do. So awesome at living out your lives of faith and trusting in me.” No, instead he speaks to my heart. He says “come to me you who are weary and burdened.”

I feel like that a lot. Weary and burdened with the weight of guilt, of my sin, things that I’ve done wrong. How I’ve hurt people in tremendous ways and I play it back over again and again and again in my mind thinking about oh how I wish I could have done it differently. Oh how I’ve hurt that person. Jesus invites someone like me, someone who is burdened with that guilt, to come to him. He says that he gives me rest. Gives me rest because he’s the one who has born on himself the guilt of my sin. He’s the one that’s taken it to the cross and paid for it in full and reassured me that he is no longer angry with me for my sin, but instead he forgives me.

He speaks to me as well who has a huge to do list and I think about the ways in which I failed to live up to that list. Whether it’s being a good pastor, or a good father, a good spouse, or friend. I think about so often I failed to do all of those things that I should do. And Jesus invites me, you burdened by this huge massive list, come to me. Because I’ve done it all. I’ve done everything that you need to do. I’ve done it perfectly for you. You can find hope, peace, comfort, rest in me.

Yes, there are some pretty incredible passages in scripture. Like I said before though, the ones I like best are the ones that make me look small, weak and God look great and strong. Because it’s those that I especially need to hear when I am distressed over my sin, when I feel the weight of guilt or overwhelmed with the things in life. Jesus invites you today come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Find your rest in Christ. Amen.