Invitations to intimate closeness are reserved for very special people. Those with whom we share our innermost thoughts are the ones we call our close friends. To be close is to be special.
Jesus invites us to be close to Him so that we can experience a dimension of life that is beyond the ordinary. In Matthew 11:28 He says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” This is an invitation from Jesus to be close to Him – to find a place of rest and ease in the midst of the turmoil of life.
The word “come” is a special exclamation that has a gentle urging in it. “Come here now,” or, “Hey, come on over here,” as Jesus said in this verse, is an invitation to intimate closeness – to find in Jesus, not only a friend, but a close friend.
Actually, this passage comes right between two difficult scenes. At the end of Chapter 11, Jesus pronounces WOES upon three cities, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, for their unbelief. Then in Chapter 12, the Pharisees blaspheme Jesus, and He accuses them of committing the unpardonable sin. In other words, in the midst of a world of unbelief and blasphemy, Jesus says to those that love him, “Come here, now. Let’s have an intimate conversation, and I will ease your burden and give you rest.”
Some time ago my grandson was feeling hurt by a situation of unfairness. So I said to him, “Hey, come here. Let’s sit and talk.” I put my arms around him and we had an intimate conversation – just the two of us. Those are the times we both remember. Later he said to me, “Thanks for talking with me, Grandpa. I feel better now.”
When Jesus says, “Hey, come here. Let’s sit and talk,” those are the special times that we will look back upon and invariably say, “Thanks, I feel better now.”
Now you know the real meaning of the word.
Say! Jesus wants to sit and talk with you. How, can you turn down an invitation like that?