Weary
“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden,” Matthew 11:28
Weary – Worn out! More than just the end of the day, dragging in from the job. This word (from kopiao) means to be so burdened with labor that you are exhausted. It should remind us of Isaiah 40:31 where the Hebrew word, yaga, describes working against such huge obstacles that both body and soul are used up.
Our culture is the W2 culture – worry and weary. They seem to go together. Life grinds you down. The structures of this world are designed (by bigger powers) to turn our lives into useless powder. Life without God is simply overwhelming at every level. Jesus knew this, so he invited all those who were experiencing life’s dregs to come to Him. The biggest problem we face is the denial of our weariness. We think we must carry on. So we don’t end up at Jesus’ feet because we have adopted the philosophy of self-sufficiency. Jesus speaks to those who know that they are W2 people.
The “weary” theme is an Old Testament image. Isaiah tells us that there is a solution. The ones who will not be weary are the ones who “wait on the Lord”. Jesus tells us exactly what “waiting on the Lord” means. “Come to me”. The answer to weariness is not a vacation. It is not hiring more employees. It is not cutting back. Those are all external “action” fixes for an internal “spiritual” disease. The answer to weariness is heart conversation with the Master.
There is only one place where I am safe from my own W2 issues. It is the place on my knees, talking and listening. No matter what the grind, God’s arms pull me toward Him. My Father knows my deepest struggles. He listens so carefully. He coaches me toward clarity. He opens my heart to His comfort. Isaiah had it right: I come away refreshed.
When I let the W2 life push me away from my kneeling time, my W2 life gets harder to handle. God never intended this. He wants my constant conscious dependence. He is ready to lift my burdens. But I need to let them go. Weariness is a choice too.
