Gospel in Art: Come to me, all who labour, and I will give you rest

Go on Adam, Breathe, linocut by © Jack Baumbartner. 2017. Baumwerkshop 2025, a.r.r.

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 10 December 2025
Matthew 11:28-30

At that time: Jesus declared, 'Come to me, all who labour 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.'

Reflection on the Linocut

We often think that advancing age naturally brings declining energy. As we grow older, we can become frustrated when our bodies no longer keep pace with what we want to do. Yet the prophet Isaiah reminds us that weariness is not limited to any one age group. Even the young can stumble; even the strong can lose heart. There is such a thing as a tired spirit, a heaviness within, that can touch anyone, whether young or old. Isaiah tells us that only the Lord can meet us in that inner exhaustion: He gives strength to the weary and He renews the powerless. God never tires! His life and vitality never fade. When we turn to Him in our moments of weakness, something of His strength begins to strengthen us again.

Jesus echoes this same promise in today's Gospel: "Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." There is much in life that can dull our spirit: pressures, losses, disappointments, financial hardship, cost of living pressures, other unspoken worries. But the Lord comes to us precisely there, offering rest where we are strained, hope where we are discouraged, and a quiet resilience that can keep the heart young even when the body grows older. What He asks of us is simple: that we make space for Him, and allow His presence to breathe new life into our tiredness.

God breathes new life into each one of us. The very first time He did this for a human being was with Adam: "He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." (Genesis 2:7). That divine breath is beautifully visualised in our linocut by contemporary artist Jack Baumgartner. Baumgartner is a multidisciplinary artist whose life is deeply rooted in the slow, steady rhythms of the land. Living outside Rose Hill, Kansas, with his wife and five children, he farms, tends sheep, carves wood, and creates earthy, prayerful images that feel as though they rise straight from the soil he works each day.

And just as God breathed life into Adam, He continues to breathe life into us, especially when we feel tired, worn down, or overwhelmed. When our spirits grow weary, God does not stand far off. He bends close, as He did in Eden, and breathes His strength, His peace, His hope into the places within us that feel weak... if we let Him to...

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-11-28-30-2025-2/