“Minding the Flock” Scripture Print

You may find this painting familiar. It was painted by Thomas Moran in 1867 and donned the cover of Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund in 2020. I became acquainted with both works during my second miscarriage in 2021 when I was in a pit of depression and needed truth and encouragement in a weary time.

Matthew 11:29-30

“‘Come to me, all 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.’”

As always, Spurgeon is so helpful in extracting much understanding and comfort from our text:

“O you who feel your unworthiness this morning, who have been seeking salvation earnestly, and suffering the weight of sin, Jesus will freely give to you what you cannot earn or purchase, he will give it as an act of his own free, rich, sovereign mercy; and he is prepared, if you come to him, to give it to you now, for so has he promised, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

“I have looked at this rest after rest as being a treasure concealed in a precious box. The Lord Jesus gives to his people a priceless casket, called the gift of rest; it is set with brilliants and inlaid with gems, and the substance thereof is of wrought gold; whosoever possesses it feels and knows that his warfare is accomplished and his sin is pardoned. After awhile the happy owner begins to examine his treasure. It is all his own, but he has not yet seen it all, for one day he detects a secret drawer, he touches a hidden spring, and lo! Before him lies a priceless Koh-i-noor surpassing all the rest. It had been given him it is certain, but he had not seen it at first, and therefore he finds it. Jesus Christ gives us in the gift of himself all the rest we can ever enjoy, even heaven's rest lies in him; but after we have received him we have to learn his value, and find out by the teaching of his Spirit the fulness of the rest which he bestows.”

“Let but your mind be like the mind of Christ, and you shall find rest unto your souls: a deep rest, a growing rest, a rest found out more and more, an abiding rest, not only which you have found, but which you shall go on to find. Justification gave you rest from the burden of sin, sanctification will give you rest from molesting cares; and in proportion as it becomes perfect, and you are like your Saviour, your rest shall become more like that of heaven.”

“First, my dear brethren, if you find rest to your souls you will not be moved by the judgment of men. “

“Are you troubled, dear child of God, tonight? You ought not to be troubled about anything. ‘Ah, sir! you do not know my position.’ No matter, friend, that I do not know it; HE who invites you to come to him knows it. ‘But, dear sir, my affliction is unique.’ Listen: ‘In all their affliction he was afflicted.’ Therefore, yours cannot be unique; Jesus must know all about it; and if he knows, it is better than my knowing. “But I have such a heavy cross to carry.” Is it heavier than his? ‘Ah, sir, but I have so many trials!’ Are there more than he can enable you to endure? Please, come to him. Now then, if you can, at least for a few minutes, divest yourselves of your cares, your anxieties, your doubts, your fears. There he stands, he of the pierced feet, and the nailed hands, and the crimson side, there he stands in glory, and he invites you to come to him, and trust him. Lay your burdens down at his feet. Why should you carry what he will readily carry for you? Tell him all your griefs. Why do you hide them from him? Should he not know your heart if you are married to him? Should there be a secret kept away from him? I am persuaded that I am preaching to you what will be more healing than the balm of Gilead, and sweeter than the sweetest music to lull you into a delightful peace, if you will only listen to this gospel invitation, and come to Jesus, by a simple act of faith, and by a great resolve of fellowship, for he says, ‘I will give you rest.’”