Rest for our Souls

Rule Following isn't Worship

What if Jesus hurt your feelings? Jesus did have some very harsh things to say to some people. Almost exclusively they were said to the religious leaders of the day. These men thought they knew it all. They had reduced their belief in God to a formula. Do X and then Y will happen. Follow the law to the letter and then you will be right in God's eyes. They were wrong however. This kind of rule following will never bring rest for our souls.

Liars and Fools

What did Jesus say to them? He called them liars, fools, blind, hypocrites and even told them their father was the devil. Why would our loving Savior speak so harshly to these people? Because they had taken worship and turned it into something not of the heart. Their obedience was superficial. Jesus said they didn't practice what they preached (Matthew 23:3) and that they neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

The Pharisees were very influential among the common people. They placed their oral traditions as equal to the words of God in the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament). In essence they were adding things to God's word.

Not all Pharisees were opposed to Jesus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, as was Paul. Paul recognized that true righteousness could only be accomplished through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. In Galatians 3:11, Paul states that no righteousness can be found in obedience to the law. Faith in Christ was the only way. It is Jesus who fulfills the law.

The Pharisees prided themselves on their knowledge of the laws of Moses and their oral traditions. They approached God as if He were a prize to be won through hard work and dedication. Following this law became a source of pride for the Pharisees, something they did to be "seen by men." Today when we call someone a Pharisee it means that they are self righteous and hypocritical.

They Bind Heavy Burdens

Speaking of the Pharisees, Jesus said this, "For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men" (Matthew 23:4-5). Following the letter of the law was burdensome because it was impossible. The Pharisees had added hundreds of laws and regulations to the existing 613 in the Law of Moses.

The tragedy of legalism is that it blinds us to the heart of God. When religion becomes only a list of rules to keep, we lose sight of the One those rules were meant to lead us to. The Pharisees searched the Scriptures diligently but missed the very Savior standing before them. In the same way, if we focus only on outward performance, we risk missing the gentle voice of Jesus calling us into a living, loving relationship with Him.

Rest For Our Souls

Contrast this to what Jesus says of Himself in Matthew 11: 28-30,

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

When we come to Jesus, we are freed from the weight of trying to earn God's approval. His rest is not the absence of effort but the peace that comes from knowing we are already loved and accepted through faith. Obedience then becomes a joyful response, not a burden. True worship flows from gratitude, not from fear of failing to measure up.

Our Relationship To God

When we look at our relationship to God, what do we see? Do we see a person who does good things only so others will see and be impressed? Do we make faith in God burdensome, a list of "no's" to be followed to the letter? Do we pride ourselves on how good we are? Do we, deep down, devalue the sacrifice of Christ on the cross because we just don't think we're really that bad?

When we measure our faith by what we do rather than who we know, we miss the heart of the gospel. God isn’t impressed by our performance—He desires our devotion. True worship flows from love, not obligation. When our hearts belong to Him, obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden, and our service springs from gratitude instead of guilt.

The Pharisees were teaching that actions, not faith; deeds, not love; and rules, not mercy, were all that was required to be in right relationship with God. Jesus upended their teaching. The most important rule Jesus told them was to love God and love others. Love is greater than faith and hope. When we truly do this, that is when we we can learn from our Savior. That is when we can find rest for our souls. That is when the good that we do will be real.