The first stop was at the New Cathedral on Lindell Blvd. It's known for its dramatic mosaic tile depictions. They used 41 million pieces of gold leaf and other colors to create a massive depiction of creation, another of the resurrection, and another of Pentecost. Much symbolism. Just beautiful. The highlight of the trip for me was when the tour guide opened the door to the church and the kids saw the gold and altar for the first time, and all 50 of them said, "Wow."

After that we were on to Concordia Seminary campus. It's architecture and symbolism is equally impressive. The highlight of this visit is to climb Luther's Tower. It is a carillon bell tower, and the kids are allowed to climb up and they receive a pin when they do so.

Well, I was bringing up the end of our tour group. And was ready to go into the tower, when I saw Luther's statue. That's the place where I first met my wife. So, being the romantic that I am, I ran over to take a picture of Luther's statue so I could show her later. I did that, ran back, and they had locked the door to Luther's Tower. I knocked. No one answered. And so I missed that part of the tour.

That's when I noticed a bench. An empty bench in the sunshine. An empty bench in the sunshine beside a beautiful yellow tree and under a azure blue sky.

And do you know what I did? I sat down. For 5 minutes, I just sat there in the sunshine and rested. It was 5 of the most glorious minutes. And then I heard the stomping and talking and the laughing, and we were back on tour.

When was the last time God gave you unexpected rest?! Sometimes it's simple, like when a blizzard comes and no one can get out of their driveway. It's a gift. Life has to slow down. Rest.

Sometimes God forces us to rest, like those sheep in Psalm 23: "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures." Sometimes God forces us to rest through an illness, exhaustion, whatever.

Sometimes life becomes so challenging, so difficult, that we simply can carry the burden. We are worn out. Like that modern day parable of the footprints in the sand. Remember? There were 2 sets of footprints in the sand, but pretty soon there was only 1 set of footprints. It wasn't that we were walking all alone, was it?

The one set of footprints in the sand was when God was carrying us, when the burdens were too great, when we were exhausted by life. And today, we see that Jesus has given us rest because our sins are forgiven, and ETERNAL REST is assured for all who believe in Jesus!

To understand this passage, this promise, it helps to look at the context of Jesus' words. The next story recorded in the Bible is about the Pharisees. They were making religion and faith very complicated, very difficult. Their kind of religion was a heavy yoke around the necks of the people. Their religion consisted of "don’t to this" and "don't do that." Their religion was one of don't don't don't don't don't. No no no no no no. Their religion was a religion of over 600 rules and regulations and rituals that the people had to follow.

For example in Matthew 12, Jesus and His disciples were walking through a field one Sabbath day. The disciples began to pick some grain in order to have something to eat. The Pharisees became very mad because this was a Sabbath Day. "It is unlawful to pick grain on the Sabbath." Don't don't don't don't don't. No no no no no.

And Jesus said, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

And in the very next Bible story, Jesus comes to a man with a shriveled up hand. And Jesus heals the mans hand. Jesus said, "It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

The Pharisees had turned religion into a series of rules and regulation and rituals. It was a terrible burden. A heavy yoke. The people never knew if they had done enough. They never knew if they were right with God. The people never knew if they were going to heaven. This is the situation that Jesus is addressing.

Jesus said, "Come to me." It's a personal invitation to know Jesus Christ. Jesus knew the truth that "I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him." Jesus knew that no one can come to Jesus by His own strength, certainly not by His own merit.

"Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." We all carry a heavy burden. We all carry the heavy burden of sin. All sin and fall short of the glory of God. We are all weary from the sins and guilt of our sins that weigh us down.

The picture language here is of a slave who is carrying a heavy load and is ready to break.

What has you at the breaking point?

Around the globe? Wars, starvation, civil wars, political oppression.

Closer to home? Cancers, and heart attacks, disease

In the home? Conflict, unemployment, kids

Jesus invites you to bring that burden to Him and drop it at the foot of the cross. Confess the sins, lay them at the foot of the cross. Release the heavy load of self-righteousness and perfectionism, and lay it at the foot of the cross.

At my last church, on Good Friday, everyone would receive a nail, and come forward during the service and place the nail in a basket at the foot of the cross, symbolic of unloading our sins onto Jesus.

In the Old Testament, there was scapegoat, the priest would place his hands on the goat, and release the goat and the sins into the desert.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ takes our sins upon Himself, and died for those sins, so that we would be forgiven. So that we could have rest.

The first promise in this passage is the come and unload our sins on Jesus. Let him bear the weight of your sin.

The second invitation is this : Take my soul upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Jesus was raised by a carpenter. Jesus would understand a "perfectly fitting yoke, a perfect fit for the shoulders of particular oxen. Because the yoke fit perfectly, it was easy and light.

That word "Yoke" can symbolize world religions. The religion of the Pharisees was one of rules and regulations and rituals.

Whereas the religion of Jesus is simple and joyful and free and easy and light. That's because Jesus has taken the thing that weighs you down and removed it from you. Because of Jesus, because of the cross, God forgives our sins and remembers our sin no more. Every sin. Every last sin is forgiven in the blood of Jesus Christ. Free of charge!

When we are joined, yoked, to Jesus on our Baptismal day, our sins were washed away. How freeing, and refreshing, how easy to live. That's rest!

Today is All Saints' Weekend. Many of our loved ones have received rest, through faith in Jesus Christ.

And apart from sin and living in the sinful world, living only in the joyful presence of the Lord, there is no greater rest! Our second reading today, from Revelation 7, gives a tremendous glimpse of glory.

Those who have received their eternal rest in Jesus are all together, everyone of them, praising God before His throne. The burdens of death and mourning and crying and pain have been removed forever.

And someday, we too shall enjoy perfect joy, perfect blessing, perfect rest and peace before God!

I'd like to close with a short prayer:

Lord, Give me a stout heart to bear my own burdens.

Give me a willing heart to bear the burdens of others.

Give me a believing heart to cast all burdens upon Thee, O Lord.