The Compassion of God

Introduction

Go ahead and open up in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 11.

Last week we saw Jesus call out an “entire generation.” But, as we spent the majority of our time together realizing, Christ was really condemning only a certain group of people. It was a majority group, but it wasn’t every single person. At least, that’s what I said about it.

In our text this week, we are going to see why I said that, but we’re also going to see Jesus expose His tenderness. We’re going to see the Lord’s distinct heart toward a particular people; namely, those whom He is calling.

So, let’s read:

Matthew 11:25–30 ESV

25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Point 1: Who Jesus calls to salvation

Notice how Christ has switched from the previous verses from a “condemnation” to a “praise.” He declares: “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth...”

Jesus is saying how grateful He is to His Father for something. When we think of being grateful to God for things, it may be be health-related items. It might be for a thing we’ve received, or perhaps a new child or grandchild. Maybe even someone coming into our lives to love us amidst struggle.

All in all, most of the things that we are grateful to God for tend to be focused on ourselves. I’m certain that we have offered up prayers of gratitude to God for someone else being free from diseases and cancer, but if we’re honest most of us tend to offer up quick, little “Thank you Lord”’s for self-focused reasons.

In that way, we’re far more often like the Pharisee in Luke 18:11 who says “God, I thank you I’m not like other people” than we are like Christ in these verses.

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Focusing on Jesus’ actual praise, though, is still surprising. It still has an air of condemnation in it, because He hasn’t switched topics fully. Again, He says:

“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.”

Who has things hidden from them? The “wise and understanding.”

If there’s any sort of person that you would assume have the ability to grasp the things Jesus is talking about, you’d assume it was those who were educated. Those who were innately wise, perhaps.

But, the Lord in His infinite wisdom, has chosen to hide “these things” from those people. Now, the Lord doesn’t expound on what “these things” are in the text specifically, but it can be inferred that He is referring to what we might call “the way of salvation.” The wise and understanding have been made incapable of comprehending (which is ironic, of course) how to be in right standing with God…

They don’t get it. It’s like me and geometry… I simply can’t grasp it. I can have all the formulas and measurements in front of me, plug in the equation, and come out with the wrong answer. i can’t figure out what I’ve done wrong. Someone who is capable of understanding it can come and correct my equation, teach me the right way to do it, but it’s like understanding has been hidden from me.

Such is the experience of the “wise and understanding” in the way of the gospel.

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As Jesus turns His attention from condemnation, He announces who has been given understanding. Who has seen and fully known it. And who is it? “Little Children.” In fact, Jesus’ actual word here is the same for “nursing babies.”

Excuse me?

Doesn’t Jesus know that a successful ministry is built on those who have exceptional talent? Who are recognized for their courage and power? By those who are wealthy, those who are “capable?” Perhaps by those who are wise and understanding? Who are educated?

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Friends, Jesus is clear here on who He has called. It’s not the educated and intelligent. It’s the dim-witted, challenging, and needy “nursing babies.”

Think about Jesus’ Apostles. None of them were picked from an A-list for followers. He chose from among fishermen instead of Pharisees for His closest disciples.

This is who the Lord is, He takes the incapable and is capable for them. He takes those who would be presumed to be capable and lets them be swallowed by their pride into God’s eternal judgment. He sends the hypocrite to Hell, and brings the heavy-laden to Heaven.

“...for such [is the Father’s] gracious will,” Jesus says. Such is the Father’s “good pleasure,” that the educated and intelligent are not given over to salvation, but to condemnation.

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How do we apply this?

I am honestly astonished that anyone would find it “predictable” that God would save them. I am in awe of anyone who can think they have made themselves worthy for God to save them. Yet I have met people like this. People who are hypocrites in their hearts, who don’t acknowledge their own sin, who don’t “have to” repent and are led by pride of self, blinded by their own supposed “self-worth.”

This is not who Jesus calls. We apply this portion of our text today by realizing that the gospel is for drug-addicts more than entrepreneurs. It’s more for struggling fishermen, for the scared out-of-work single mother, the depressed alcoholic, and the angsty teenager, than for the person who sees themselves as “good.”

Point 2: The authority of Jesus over salvation

These next two points illustrate that same truth as well, but in different ways.

Notice in v. 27 what Jesus says: “All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”

Jesus is pointing out that He has full authority to draw whomever He wishes. The Father has given Him this authority, but the Father and Son are in full agreement.

In John 6:44, Jesus says “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” In Ephesians 1:5, we find that the Father: “predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will...”

But here, Jesus is taking full credit saying that “the Son chooses to reveal [the Father.” There is no disagreement between the Father and Son on whom is given salvation. There will be no soul that the two of them argue over, where one wants that soul saved and the other wants that soul condemned.

The Father has given authority to the Son to “choose to reveal.” Or it could be translated “whom the Son [desires] to reveal him.”

Jesus has not only the authority, but also the desire to bring whom He brings to salvation. We call this the doctrine of “election.” A portion of that is expressed here, where Jesus cheerfully announces His authority over salvation to infants instead of the educated.

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This is important, because anyone who is a Christian should be able to ask with surprise: “Why did He save me?” If I were the Apostles Peter or John, I’d wonder that. After seeing His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension… after shepherding and planting churches and suffering to the glory of God, I’d wonder that.

I wonder that being even me. But here I see something that brings absolute joy to my heart, to know that my Lord “desired” to save me.

What a glorious truth that should bring a song to our hearts. If you don’t know the Lord, yet sense Him tugging at your heart… To know that He desires to save you.. Give in. He won’t let you go and it’s better to stop fighting.

Such is the experience of election… To know that it is better to surrender to the One who desires to save us, than to live in our own sinful pride.

Point 3: The requirements to come to Jesus

Notice verse 28, where we see the character of Jesus express the only requirements to come to Him.

The English is hard here, because the emphasis in our Bibles is the first word of “Come.” Jesus is not issuing a command here, but an invitation to Himself. The Greek is difficult, but know that the emphasis is on the “who” here… Not the “how.”

He essentially says “To me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Much like a soldier in battle who rallies others saying “To me!” is what Jesus is doing here.

He is not rallying the educated and fancy, but those who labor with great burdens. Whether that’s the burden of the Levitical Law, where a person sees the scope and power of the Law and are convinced that they will never measure up. Or those who are just tired of trying to be perfect… To Jesus you must rally.

Point 4: The heart of Jesus

Looking at verse 29, a quick explanation: Before tractors, beasts of burden would wear what’s called a “yoke.” It was a heavy bar that connected the beast to his cart. Jesus issues the command for those who are heavy laden to take His yoke instead of the yoke they are wearing. They must do this. He gives this imperative, this command to those who are burdened and heavy laden.

Jesus doesn’t just remove the yoke and set us free, but instead puts a new, “easy” yoke on His people. We must be tethered to something, to Him, and continue labors. Work is good, but toiling in work is an effect of the Fall. (Genesis 3:19).

Imagine a cruel farmer who untethers his bull and is dissatisfied with his ability to till his field. Who removes the reins from his horse and gets angry when he falls off the saddle. This farmer then angrily beats his animals because of “their” failures.

This is not the heart of Christ, but instead He is “gentle and lowly in heart.” In Him “you will find rest for your souls.” He removes the heavy yoke and puts one on that fits and “is easy.” He takes away the burden and gives one that “is light.”

The Christian life is a struggle and a toil against our own selves. But Jesus does not demand from us a religious perfectionism where we lie about our growth in holiness, where we make ourselves look better than we truly are. This is the way of the world, of the “wise and understanding” who would are better in public than they are in private.

The heart of Christ allows us to reveal our worst parts, and in His gentleness He removes our sin. In His lowliness (or humility), He patiently deals with us. What a wonderful heart the Lord has.

Conclusion

So, how do we put all this together?

If you are a person who feels too dirty to be saved, too stained to be loved, too sinful to be redeemed… You’re exactly the type of person Jesus is calling.

If you see yourself as a “good person,” that you were born into Christianity and a Christian you shall be, or anything other than your own guilt and sin bringing you to Christ, then you have misunderstood God’s heart and need to repent. You are the type of person, “wise and understanding” who God hides His salvation from.

Our sin and shame is what Jesus wants, not our delusions of perfection. Jesus delights in hiding His gospel from the proud and arrogant, but He also delights in taking the worthless in this world and covering them with His wonderful glory.

Such is the heart of Jesus, gentle and lowly who gives rest for your souls.