Today I would like to share the grace of God under the title, “Come to Me, All You Who Are Weary and Burdened.” If we reflect on the history of humanity, many ideas such as liberal democracy and communism have been dominating the lives of human beings. Whatever burdens of ideologies humans carry, nothing can solve life’s laborious and heavy burdens. From cradle to grave, everything is a weary and heavy burden to us. We suffer from existential burdens and also have to carry the weary and heavy burdens of life. All people born in this world carry the heavy burdens of life. Job 5:7 says, “Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.” However, labor of life was not originally planned by God. In Genesis, God created humans at the last time after creating heavens and the earth and everything in them. He wanted all creatures to take a rest in life. To suffer wasn’t God’s will at all. Then why should we be weary and burdened in life? It is because humans sinned. In Genesis Chapter 3, after Adam and Eve took the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, God punished them and He used the word, ‘pain,’ for the first time. God said to the woman, "With pain you will give birth to children.” To the man, He said, “Through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.” Therefore, God wants to let us know that the reason of our suffering lies in our inescapable sins. Many people doubt, saying, “Why should we carry heavy and weary burdens?”, but the Bible clearly says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Sin blocks the way between God and us not to meet each other. Therefore, Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- ” Since Adam, all human beings have had to live under the rule of Satan, the ruler of the kingdom of the air and carry the burdens of sins, diseases, poverty, and death. God really wanted to give a rest to humans who lost that state of rest. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” How terrific He is! It is God’s will that He gives us hope and peace of mind. If burdens are overloaded, a ship will sink. There is the maximum loading limiting line for a ship. We estimate whether cargo exceeds the boundary line or not through checking on this line. If one ignores the limiting line and overloads the ship, it will end up sinking at sea. It is the same with our lives. If our burdens of life keep overloading, we can’t endure their weight and tumble down in the end. Nowadays our social problems such as divorce or suicide can’t happen overnight. Burden of stress keeps overloading and when it exceeds the limiting line, it explodes. Therefore, we should not leave it undone. Jesus died on the cross to carry all humans’ burden of sins. Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." After Jesus solved all our sin problems on the cross, He has invited us to Him. Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” No one does not carry the heavy and weary burden of life so the Lord invites each one of us to bring it to Him to carry. Many people try to seek rest where there is no rest at all. It is the same as wanting water at a dry well. Some seek comfort from other people while others at a scenic resort. However, they can’t give us everlasting and true rest. Then where can we find true rest? It can’t be found anywhere but only if we find a rest from sins. Unless we get rid of our burden of sins, we can’t find any rest. St. Augustine said, “Lord, our hearts are restless till they find their rest in thee.” All the burdens in this world are burdens of sins. Adam and Eve first took a burden of sin before God and it became the burden of sin for all humanity. As long as it remains in us, we can’t find any help. When Jesus met a woman at a Samaritan well, she represents our thirsty and tired human life. She really carried the weary and heavy burden of life. Jesus said to this tired woman in life, “But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."(John 4:14) We must believe in Jesus and come to Him to receive eternal life and true rest. Today Jesus is inviting us, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” People usually invite their relatives or friends to their party or feast and sometimes the number reaches to dozens of people or a few people. However, Jesus invites all of us! His invitation is not confined to a chosen few, but “Come to me, all you!” Let us give a big hand to the Lord as we welcome His invitation. “Jesus! Do you hear it? We clap our hands to welcome Your invitation.” How wonderful! Today Jesus is calling each of us, saying, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” People usually invite their relatives or friends to their party whenever something good happens to them. However, Jesus’ invitation has no limit so it is so joyful! As Jesus says, “Come to Me,” whosoever responds to His invitation with faith can have a rest in Him. It doesn’t matter at all whether you have a great educational background or family background or much money or power or not. Even though each of us is sinful, unrighteous, filthy, and deserves abandonment, if we look up to the Lord and come before Him, He will accept us unconditionally. Then why do people not enjoy true rest and contentment? Their priorities should change. They regularly visit church worship services and attend early morning prayer meetings and all night prayer meetings and even go to the prayer mountain, but can’t receive an answer to their prayer. It is because they have a wrong priority. 3 John 1:2 says, “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” What should be the priority we start from? We must settle our sins in our souls first and then our business and health will go well with us. In life, our souls should first prosper that all may go well with us. What should we do to prosper spiritually? In order for our souls to prosper, we must believe in Jesus well. The Lord Jesus is God Himself who can forgive our sins. When we believe in Him, our souls will prosper. When Jesus invites us, saying, “Come to Me,” if we respond to it with faith, all may go well with us and we will enjoy good health. Deuteronomy 32:10 says, “In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye.” Our eyes are so precious. There are triple protective devices for our eyes. First, if a dangerous situation comes, our eyelids automatically close to protect our eyes. Secondly, there are eyebrows and eyelashes to block dust or dirt. Furthermore, we have the tear glands so tears protect the eyes from potentially harmful foreign objects. Amazingly God said that He would guard us as the apple of His eye. Therefore, no matter whatever situation we may be in, we should not be discouraged or in despair. When Jesus comes to us, any sin problem or dust can’t swallow us. Children with parents don’t need to worry what to eat or what to drink. Jesus said in John 14:18, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” And He also sends the Holy Spirit to be with us. Furthermore, He promises, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”(John 14:14) “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."(Matthew 21:22) Therefore, we can seek anything we need from God the Father through prayer. If only we pray, we don’t need to be discouraged. Through prayer we can receive whatever we need. Matthew 11:29 says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” “I am gentle and humble in heart.” Jesus is the Lord of all the universe but also a gentle and humble Ruler. “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”(Philippians 2:6-7) Jesus came to the earth in human likeness to save us. To enjoy His rest we must receive it from the Lord. Some people live their lives as their own master. They plan their own lives and do as they like. However, Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” No matter how much we toil, if God is not with us, all labor will be useless. However, if we live with God as our own Master in life, He will guide us and carry our burden of life in place of us. We seem to carry a heavy burden of life, but the Jew put the yoke on the neck of the mother and the calf just follows its mother while the yoke is on its mother’s neck only. They make a big yoke and put it on the neck of the mother. As Jesus is gentle and humble, He carries all the burden on Himself. The calf just follows its mother without carrying a yoke on its neck. While the mother pulls the yoke, the calf follows it. The mother cow sweats all over its body while carrying a heavy yoke but the calf might think, “The yoke isn’t heavy at all! Why does my mother sweat and whine so much?” However, our humble and gentle Jesus puts all the burden on His neck and doesn’t put any weight on our neck. Therefore, if we believe in Jesus, our gentle and humble Lord will carry all our burden of life by Himself. He has never said, “You make me suffer from these heavy burdens of life!” No matter whatever heavy or light burden it may be, our Lord carried all of them for us and says, “It is finished!” Today Jesus puts all our burdens on His neck. “Jesus! You carry all my burdens! Thank You very much!” The Lord becomes our righteousness. He carries all our burdens of sins and gives us righteousness instead. Psalm 68:19 says, “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah” When we commit our lives to the Lord, He will bear our burdens every day and walk with us. Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Will we refuse Jesus’ help to resolve all our problems on our own? Or do we ask His help to say, “Father, I stretch my hands to Thee.”? The choice is up to us. Should we live as our own master of life? Or do we live with Jesus as our Lord of life? God asks us to choose! And God wants us to enjoy His prepared rest and peace and joy. When we put on the yoke of the world and serve it, we have to suffer from its tyranny. However, if we put the yoke of Jesus, we can gain His true rest and peace. Today, many people are living tiring lives without hope by carrying the burdens of sins, diseases, poverty, curses, and death. But, we who live by believing in and serving Jesus who is the Lord of resurrection have hope. Do not be discouraged no matter what kind of situations we face. If we pray to God, He will guide us to clean waters and green pastures and give us true rest, peace, and joy.