Well-known preacher, C. H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), delivered at least twelve sermons on the same three verses of scripture, but attested that a minister could never preach too often on the passage.
“In its depths are pearls for which we hope to dive,” he said [1].
Another anonymous enthusiast for these verses called them “the greatest invitation that was ever issued.”
What scripture were they referring to? Jesus’ words recorded in Matthew 11:28-30.
Will you go diving with me for the pearls of this passage? What new treasure might God present to us, even in such familiar verses as these?
Each key word and phrase offers insight into the glorious ways Jesus wants to bless us:
Come
To come to Christ is simply to put our trust in him. As our Savior who died for us, he is more than worthy of our trust. As the all-powerful King of kings over everything in the universe, he is more than qualified to warrant our trust.
All who are weary and burdened
A 2017 Gallup Poll revealed eight out of ten Americans feel stress sometimes or frequently every day [2]. But Ann Voskamp, in her book, One Thousand Gifts, suggests that “to choose stress is an act of disbelief”[3]. I see her point.
On the other hand, choosing to trust in Christ—with praise and gratitude for all he is and all he does—results in peace and joy.
Rest
Our souls find rest when we affirm the truths we know about our Lord, including his constant presence to strengthen, help, and guide. “The very act of confidence is repose,” wrote theologian, Alexander Maclaren.
Take my yoke upon you
Like the young ox who is teamed with a trained animal in the wooden harness holding them together, Jesus invites us to companion with him and follow his ways, his example.
Learn from me
He’s anxious for us to enjoy the abundant life he offers, so Christ suggests we learn how he handled life—in close companionship with his Father. And for his part, our Father delights in manifesting his life-enhancing attributes in our lives.[4]
I am humble and gentle
You’ve probably noticed our Savior is not an unreasonable and stern taskmaster, wielding his omnipotent power to bully us into submission. Time and again in the Bible record of his life we see evidence of Jesus’ being kind and understanding, gracious and tenderhearted. He is the same toward us because:
My burden is easy and light
Easy = well-fitting. Just as the farmers of old would shape the wooden yokes to uniquely fit their oxen, the ways of Christ fit us perfectly. After all, he designed us; he knows what’s best for us. And his yoke is lined with love.[5]
Perhaps now you see why someone would call these verses the greatest invitation ever issued. Jesus offers:
- Salvation from the consequences of our sin
- Relief from our burden of cares
- Rest in his all-sufficiency
- Instruction in the ways of abundant living, side by side with the gracious King of the universe
No wonder Spurgeon called such blessings pearls—lustrous pearls that can transform our reality, when we simply come to Jesus.
Which pearl(s) particularly caught your attention today? Share with us in the comment section below!
[2] https://news.gallup.com/poll/224336/eight-americans-afflicted-stress.aspx
[3] p. 148.
[4] Jeremiah 9:24
[5] Matthew Henry
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From the Inside Out 
Oh, how I needed to read these words of Jesus today, Nancy! You’ve done an excellent job of breaking the message into bite-sized pieces, or pearls of hope and wisdom. Thank you!
Thank you, Martha. It warms my heart to know these words touched YOUR heart today. Praise God for his inspiration!
Hi Nancy, I praise God for giving you wisdom and delivering this beautiful message through you.
The two verses “Come unto me for mu yoke is easy and my burden is light” and “My presence will go with you and I will give you rest” are much loved verses which God spoke to me last year when we are going through tough times.
Waiting for His promises to be fulfilled in our lives in His timing.The waiting period is tough but we are looking at a God who answers our prayers and will never leave us not forsake us.
Sushma, I so appreciate your testimony. We too have experienced difficult times and you are right: the waiting period is tough. But we learn so much as we lean heavily on our Lord. And his reassurances along the way like sunbeams, a card from a friend, a special scripture, a song, etc. keep us reassured of his presence and attentive awareness of our struggle. Thank you very much for sharing your heart, Sushma!
The pearl that spoke to me was the portion on “All who are weary and burdened”. I am so guilty of allowing stress into my life and it is certainly true that “to choose stress is an act of disbelief”. I found comfort in the “Rest” portion. Only by taking hold of his promises to strengthen, help, and guide will I be able to break the destructive cycle of allowing stress into my psyche. Thanks so much for this beautifully crafted post and for the wonderful truths of Matthew 11:28-30. Oh, and I especially loved the reference to Colossians 1:17.
Thank you, Cheri, for your encouragement. These verses are wonderfully calming–good ammunition to use when the enemy attacks. Decades ago, John Peterson put these verses to music, and his song still comes to mind now and then. His inspired tune augmented the calming effect of scripture-lyrics.
John Peterson! I love his songs. I believe the White Sisters sang many of his hymns. I still have one of their songbooks.
The old songs are now accompanied with sweet memories, making them all the more beloved!
Thanks Nancy, wow, John Peterson’s songs were the songs I grew up with. Dad sang “Over the Sunset Mountain”, it took a Miracle and many others. I think he wrote over 1000 songs and many Cantatas. Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled my soul. Thanks for the reminder…brings happiness and sadness.
Sam
Yup–I grew up with them too. My parents sang with a traveling quartet, mostly in the Chicago area, also on Moody Radio. They too included John Peterson songs in their repertoire. No doubt anyone who grew up in the church in the 1950s to 1970s knows his name and a song or two he wrote!
Thank you Nancy. These verses are always comforting!
Thank you, Pam, for stopping by and taking the time to read.
beautiful exegesis of this verse and what inspiration from Spurgeon. Have a super weekend, Nancy
Thank you, Jean! We enjoyed the pleasure of anticipation over the weekend; our younger son and DIL arrived yesterday, staying for a few days!
Love those verses of reflection and how you’ve dove in with thorough explanation.
The words ‘come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened’ are so welcoming and heartwarming. And who hasn’t ever felt weary and heavy burdened at some point?
Thank you, Alicia. These verses DO offer universal comfort and encouragement. No wonder they’re among the favorites of such great theologians as Spurgeon!
Yes!!🙌
Hi Nancy,
The yoking prepares us for work. We are not alone in the work of the Lord. He our strength, our guide, and moves on straight on towards the direction the Lord has for us.
In Christ,
Gary
Amen, Gary–praise God for his gentle guidance in the direction of what is best for us!
Thanks Nancy for continuing to write Pearls of wisdom.
For the most part, I am pretty stress free or at least when the times were dangerous or life threatening. What causes me stress is having issues in friendships. The older I get, it seems in certain areas, I am clueless. I loved those verses about wisdom and trusting God’s all sufficiency. I seem to allow stress when thinking about a wife. Kind of silly to be thinking of that at this time of my life. That’s where the clueless comes in.
Again, thanks for your faithfulness in writing.
Sam
Ah, relationships! THAT’s where real practice-in-godliness takes place! Conflicts in particular can be SO challenging–even among Christians. It requires commitment to one another and commitment to living God’s way to achieve harmony–and lots of “I’m sorry” and “You’re forgiven” also! As for a wife, Sam, I don’t think that’s a silly idea at all. You may live to be one hundred or more–plenty of years to share companionship with someone. I’m praying right now that she will enter your life SOON!