Matthew 11:28
Bible verses · Also called: Matt. 11:28, Mt 11:28, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, All ye that labour and are heavy laden, Come unto me, I will give you rest
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Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
The text is the New Korean Revised Version (1998), shown under a licence from the Korean Bible Society. Wording may differ slightly from the Korean Revised Version and the Revised New Korean Standard Version. Read in the Korean Revised Version
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" is an invitation spoken by Jesus. It is one of the verses most widely used in evangelism and for comfort.
Context
After Jesus rebukes the unrepentant cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum (Matthew 11:20-24), he thanks the Father because "thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes" (11:25-27). The invitation of verses 28-30 follows. Jesus tells his hearers to take his yoke upon them and learn of him, for he is "meek and lowly in heart"; his yoke is easy and his burden is light. The very next chapter, Matthew 12, opens with a controversy over plucking ears of grain on the Sabbath.
Interpretation
- As an invitation to salvation: This reading sees the verse as a gospel invitation that calls those weighed down by sin and the burden of the law to come to Christ. It is the most common reading in evangelistic preaching.
- As a contrast of yokes: In the Judaism of the time, "yoke" was used to refer to taking up the law. Setting the verse against Jesus' criticism that the Pharisees lay "heavy burdens" on people's shoulders (23:4), this reading holds that life under Jesus' teaching and rule is true rest. It emphasizes that rest comes not from casting off every yoke but from exchanging one's yoke for the yoke of Jesus.
- As the fulfillment of Sabbath rest: Connecting the verse with the Sabbath controversy that immediately follows, this reading takes it as a claim that Jesus is the one who gives the true rest the Sabbath promised. It is sometimes read alongside the rest described in Hebrews 4:9-10.
Questions of Application
Some observe that using this verse merely for psychological comfort or relaxation misses the call to discipleship in the words that follow: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me." Others hold that what weary people need first is not a demand but an invitation, and that it is therefore right to convey the comfort of this verse as it stands.
In the Korean Church
The verse appears very frequently on church banners, evangelistic tracts, and signs at church entrances, and it is often read as a word of comfort at funeral services and during pastoral visits.
Related Passages
- Matthew 11:29-30
- Matthew 23:4
- Jeremiah 6:16
- Hebrews 4:9-11
See also 5
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