"Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11.28)

INTRO.: The text is based on an early Greek hymn attributed to Stephen the Sabaite (c. 725-815). He was a monk at the monastery of Mar Saba, near Jerusalem. The poem is dated around 794. The English version was originally identified as a translation by John Mason Neale (1818-1866). It was first published in his 1862 "Hymns of the Eastern Church" Later Neale said that it contained so little that is from the Greek that it should not have been included, and it is now generally considered an original hymn by Neale which was suggested by his reading of the Greek poem.

The tune that is most often used with it (Stephanos) was composed for this text by Henry Williams Baker (1821-1877). It was first published in the 1868 Appendix to "Hymns Ancient and Modern" (originally published in 1864), of which he was the general editor. The harmonization was made by the musical editor, William Henry Monk (1823-1889). Originally in seven stanzas, it is used in many modern hymnbooks with only four stanzas, often #'s 1, 5, 6, and 7.

Among hymnbooks used by churches of Christ, this song was included in the 1921 "Great Songs of the Church" No. 1 (#14) and the 1937 "Great Songs of the Church No. 2" (#341) both edited by E. L. Jorgenson; the 1935 "Christian Hymns" No. 1 (#244), the 1948 "Christian Hymns No. 2" (#226), and the 1966 "Christian Hymns No. 3" (#226) all edited by L. O. Sanderson; the 1963 "Christian Hymnal" (#317) edited by J. Nelson Slater; and the 1963 "Abiding Hymns" (#27) edited by Robert C. Welch.

Today, it is still found in the 1986 "Great Songs Revised" (#332) edited by Forrest M. McCann, and the 1992 "Praise for the Lord" (#47) edited by John P. Wiegand. Various alterations in certain stanzas have been made by different hymnbook editors through the years, especially with the final stanza in "The Hymnal Companion to the Book of Common Prayer" of 1870 by Edward Henry Bickersteth (1825-1906).

The hymn presents several reasons why we can come to Christ for rest.

I. Stanza 1 says that it is because He invites us

"Art thou weary, art thou languid, Art thou sore distressed? 'Come to Me,' saith One, 'and, coming, Be at rest.'"

A. In an apparent attempt to "update" the language, some books read, "Are you weary, heavy laden, Are you sore distressed?" Whether this is an actual improvement upon the original is questionable. In any event, sin is pictured as a heavy burden that causes us to be weary and languid (meaning weak; this is one of the problems we face--I recognize the need to be understandable, but why should we have to discontinue using perfectly good words just because our society has become functionally illiterate?): Psa. 38.1-4

B. But Jesus invites us to come to Him: Jn. 6.35-37

C. And those who come to Jesus can be at rest: Jer. 6.16

II. Stanza 2 says that it is because He is our Guide

"Hath He marks to lead me to Him, If He be my Guide? 'In His feet and hands are wound-prints, And His side.'"

A. Just as every person has certain marks which establish his identity, so does Jesus: Gal. 6.17

B. Since Jesus is our Guide to come to the Father (Jn. 14.6), we must in turn know how to come to Him, and God has a means by which to draw us to Him, which is teaching: Jn. 6.44-45

C. And the marks by which we are led to Him are those in His hands, feet, and side which, although we cannot literally see them, are revealed to us in the scripture to indicate the fact that He died for us: Jn. 20.24-31, Rom. 5.8

III. Stanza 3 says that it is because He is our King

"Is there diadem, as Monarch, That His brow adorns? 'Yea, a crown, in very surety, But of thorns.'"

A. Jesus is pictured as wearing a diadem upon His brow: Rev. 19.11-13

B. This symbolizes the fact that He is our Monarch, the "King of Kings and Lord of Lords": Rev. 19.14-16

C. However, His Kingship is based on the fact that He had previously worn a crown of thorns as part of His suffering for our sins: Matt. 27.27-31

IV. Stanza 4 says that it is because He promises us a reward even in this life

"If I find Him, if I follow, What His guerdon here? 'Many a sorrow, many a labor, Many a tear.'"

A. Using the marks revealed in the scripture, Jesus wants us to find and follow Him: Lk. 9.57-62

B. But if we do follow Him, is there any guerdon (recompense) in this life? Yes, there is--houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and lands, with persecutions--spiritual blessings to recompense for the loss of any physical ones: Mk. 10.28-30, Eph. 1.3

C. But it is important to note the caveat, "with persecutions," because counting the cost means to understand that following Jesus also brings sorrows, labors, and tears: Lk. 14.28-33, Jn. 15.18-21; yet the early disciples counted it as a "badge of honor" that they were considered worthy to suffer for Him: Acts 5.41

V. Stanza 5 says that it is because He has also promised us a reward hereafter

"If I still hold closely to Him, What hath He at last? 'Sorrow vanquished, labor ended, Jordan passed.'"

A. In spite of all the persecutions and temptations, Jesus wants us to hold closely to Him, being faithful until death: Rev. 2.10

B. Then, in addition to the blessings that He gives "now in this time," He has promised still further blessings "in the age to come" which include the eternal salvation of our souls: 1 Pet. 1.3-9 C. Thus, when the Jordan has been passed, sorrow will be vanquished and labors ended, so that we can be at perfect rest: Rev. 14.13

VI. Stanza 6 says that it is because He has promised to receive us

"If I ask Him to receive me, Will He say me nay? 'Not till earth and not till heaven Pass away.'"

A. When we come to Christ for the rest that He has promised, we are in essence asking Him to receive us that we might abide in Him and He in us: Jn. 15.5-10

B. The question is asked, will He say no to us? The fact is that God wants everyone to be saved: 1 Tim. 2.4, 2 Pet. 3.9

C. And the answer is not till earth and heaven pass away: Matt. 24.35; this is simply an indication that the answer is a strong NO, assuming that the ones coming to Him come on His terms and meet His conditions: Mk. 16.15-16

VII. Stanza 7 says that it is because we can be sure that He will keep His promises

"Finding Him, and following, keeping, Is He sure to bless? 'Saints, apostles, prophets, martyrs, Answer, Yes!'"

The original read:

"Finding, following, keeping struggling, Is He sure to bless? Angels, Martyrs, Prophets, Virgins, Answer, Yes!'"

A. If we do find Him, follow Him, and remain faithful to Him, can we trust Him to bless us? He has made certain promises to us: 2 Pet. 1.4, 1 Jn. 2.25

B. But our Lord has a very good "track record" for keeping His promises to bless those who serve Him faithfully: Heb. 6.9-20

C. Therefore, the testimony of all those who have served Him through the past is that our labor will not be in vain in the Lord: 1 Cor. 15.58

CONCL.: The forms of musical expression in religious singing have changed through the years. The older type hymn, of which this song is an example, was replaced in popularity among some by the gospel song of the late 1800's and early 1900's. Now in many circles the gospel song has been replaced in popularity by the so-called "praise song" (someone has referred to many of these as seven-eleven songs--seven words sung over eleven times). Some claim that the older hymns no longer speak to today's modern generation (of course, the same thing is said about the Bible), and it is true that as musical tastes change there is always the need for new musical expressions of faith. But to those whose hearts are truly attuned to God's word, hymns such as this one can still speak to us as it asks, "Art Thou Weary?"