Jesus Didn’t Call Us to Build Towers —

🌿 Jesus Didn’t Call Us to Build Towers — But to Bear Fruit

✝️ The Heart of True Rest

Scripture: Matthew 11:1–30

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28

John the Baptist did everything right — and still ended up in prison.
When Jesus didn’t move the way John expected, he sent word asking:

“Are You the One who is to come, or should we look for another?” (v.3)

That’s what disappointment does — it tests our faith when God doesn’t perform like we imagined.
But Jesus didn’t condemn John.
Instead, He said:

“Go and tell John what you see — the blind see, the lame walk, the Gospel is preached.”

In other words: “I’m still the One. You just didn’t expect Me to work this way.”

Even strong believers stumble when God doesn’t meet their expectations.
And today, many ministries do the same thing — laboring endlessly, expecting God to move through performance rather than presence.

🔹 When Ministry Becomes Modern Egypt

Somewhere along the line, ministries that started pure begin to look more like Egypt than the Kingdom.

People become resources.
Faithfulness turns into exhaustion.
Service becomes performance.

And when the worker can’t keep up — they’re replaced, not restored.

It looks biblical because it’s busy.
But it stops being Christlike when it stops shepherding souls and starts using people to build towers.

“You load people with burdens hard to bear,
and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.” — Luke 11:46

That’s what happens when we build ministry on ambition instead of abiding.
It becomes a Tower of Babel — impressive from afar, exhausting up close.

🔹 The Kingdom of God vs. Modern Ministry (Egypt)

God’s KingdomModern EgyptBuilt by obedienceBuilt by ambitionPowered by God’s SpiritPowered by strivingShepherds peopleUses peopleSeeks God’s glorySeeks man’s nameProduces restProduces burnout

When ministries use people to build, instead of building people to serve,
they’ve stopped serving the Lord who said,

“My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

🔹 The Yoke That Fits

The word “easy” (χρηστός) means kind, well-fitting, good to bear.
Jesus’ yoke doesn’t crush — it fits.
It’s partnership, not performance.

He doesn’t demand perfection; He invites pace and presence.

And the word for rest — ἀνάπαυσις (anapausis) — means deep renewal of the soul.
It’s not burnout recovery.
It’s transformation.
It’s knowing:

“I don’t have to prove my worth; Christ already did.”

🔹 The True Meaning of Rest

“There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God…
anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His.” — Hebrews 4:9–10

Rest isn’t inactivity.
It’s confidence in the finished work of Jesus.

It’s doing ministry from rest — not toward it.

When ministry works people to death “for the Gospel,”
it’s forgotten the Gospel itself.
Because the Gospel doesn’t say, “Work harder.”
It says, “Come to Me.”

🔹 What Would Jesus Whisper to the Weary Worker?

“Come to Me… learn from Me… and I will give you rest.”

He’s not asking you to stop serving —
He’s asking you to stop striving.

To stop building towers, and start walking with Him again.

💭 Reflection

• Have I been building the Kingdom — or bricks for Pharaoh?

• Am I carrying Christ’s yoke — or someone else’s expectations?

• Does my ministry restore people — or wear them out?

🕊️ True Rest Isn’t Stopping — It’s Surrendering

True rest is working from peace, not for approval.
It’s laying down the whip and taking up the yoke that actually fits.

“There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” — Hebrews 4:9

Because in God’s Kingdom,
you don’t prove your worth by what you build —
you reveal it by how well you rest in the One who already finished the work.