Christ brings divine order to the burdens and labor of everyday life, says Ohio priest

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"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

This verse comes from the Gospel of Matthew, one of the three synoptic gospels of the New Testament. 

Not much is known about St. Matthew, who is credited with writing the Gospel of Matthew, says Christian website OverviewBible.com. 

When Jesus called Matthew to be one of his disciples, he was employed as a publican, or tax collector. 

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This was "one of the most reviled professions in ancient Judaism," said the site. 

While Matthew is regarded as one of the authors of the Gospels, he is a relatively minor player in the Bible itself. He is only mentioned seven times, notes OverviewBible. 

The Gospel of Matthew is one of the three synoptic Gospels of the New Testament. It is attributed to St. Matthew.  (iStock)

"Jesus' idea of rest doesn't seem to be like ours," Fr. Ambrose Dobrozsi told Fox News Digital.

Fr. Dobrozsi is a priest in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati; he was ordained in 2019. 

He serves as a parochial vicar at St. Luke Church in Beavercreek, Ohio. 

The idea that Jesus will "give you rest" may seem contradictory, said Dobrozsi, given the demands of Christianity. 

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"He puts a lot of demands upon us: We have to go to Mass, fast during Lent, follow his commandments, serve the poor, obey the pope," said Dobrozsi.  

So "how could someone so demanding claim that he is going to give us rest?" the priest said.

A stained-glass illustration of Matthew 11:28 from a church in Verbod, Sweden. The words "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" are written along the top of the window. (iStock)

In actuality, humanity is under demands from a variety of sources.

"The reality is that we are labored and burdened, no matter what," said Dobrozsi. 

"We constantly have to please our boss, obey the laws of our country, work to keep our family happy and so many other things. These demands can feel chaotic," he said. 

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In the flow of everyday life, it can be "so easy to feel like we're always being pulled in a bunch of different directions, working on so many things at once, without ever slowing down and taking a break." 

"He comes to help us do what we already need to with his grace." 

Yet with this verse, Jesus makes it clear that he will not be the one to add additional things to people's typical burdens. 

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"If Jesus were going to add one more thing to do to our list, it would not be fair of him. That would not be rest," said Dobrozsi. 

"But his ‘yoke is easy, and his burden is light.’"

Fr. Ambrose Dobrozsi, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, told Fox News Digital that Jesus is able to take "all the chaos and the competing demands of all the people we're working for — and bring his divine order." (Fr. Ambrose Dobrozsi/iStock)

Rather than adding additional work, "Christ's yoke changes the life and the work we already have. He comes to help us do what we already need to with his grace." 

"He comes to give our job deeper meaning with his divine purpose. He comes to ease our work of improving ourselves with His forgiveness and understanding," said Dobrozsi. 

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Instead, Jesus is able to take "all the chaos and the competing demands of all the people we're working for — and bring his divine order."