February 24, 2026

Today's Reading: Matthew 11:25-30

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 7:11-8:12; Mark 3:20-35

“Jesus declared, ‘Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’” (Matthew 11:28)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Our bodies need rest. Your brain can only study for so long before you need a break. Your voice can only practice singing for so long before it starts to get strained. Your muscles can only work out for so long before they get sore (and not in the good way- you don’t get swoll overnight, amiright?). A lot of times, we pride ourselves on working through the pain and struggle and boast about our achievements. But other times, we just get tired and we need to rest. Even then, is it always easy to shut your brain off and stop thinking about what else needs to be added to your list? Can you stop worrying about whether or not you’ve studied enough for the test, or wonder whether you’ve done enough reps to get ripped before Spring Break?    

We struggle in this life, not only with bodily weariness, but also with spiritual weariness. Jesus invites us to rest in Him. He’s the one who labors for us and assures us of everlasting rest in His kingdom.    

Battles with sin will just keep coming in this life without reprieve. If we think we've conquered one sin, another is sure to arise and take its place. The Holy Spirit will continue to crush us with God's law, show us our sinfulness, and drive us to the despairing revelation that we are wretched in our sinfulness and tormented by this body of death (cf. Romans 7:24).

Here’s the promise that God has revealed: through His Word, His Holy Spirit, through Baptism, through Communion, you are yoked with Christ. There is no burden to keep the law. There is no mystery about what needs to be done in order to have salvation. Christ has done it all for you! There is only the promise of life everlasting. 

Even though we continue to struggle with sin and fail in the face of temptation, this is no indication of our status before God. Your status before Him is not determined by your ability to keep the law– rather, it is determined by your union with Christ.

The Christian's struggle against the sinful flesh is truly wearying and burdensome, but Christ has promised you rest. He's promised you life and everlasting salvation in His kingdom despite your sinfulness.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

I rest my soul on Jesus, This weary soul of mine; His right hand me embraces; I on His breast recline. I love the name of Jesus, Immanuel, Christ, the Lord; Like fragrance on the breezes His name abroad is poured (LSB 606: 3)

Rev. Chad Hoover serves as Campus Pastor and theology teacher at Concordia Lutheran High School in Fort Wayne, IN and pastoral assistant at Emanuel Lutheran Church in New Haven, IN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Better understand difficult and overlooked Old Testament passages in this new book by Authors R. Reed Lessing and Andrew E. Steinmann. Their conversational yet academic writing style makes learning about the Old Testament accessible to those at all points in their Bible reading journey. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter invite you to think more in-depth about what you just read and record your answers. To stretch your understanding, a list of resources for further reading is also included at the back of the book.