Isaiah 53:7-9 (MSG)
7-9 He was beaten, he was tortured,
but he didn’t say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
and like a sheep being sheared,
he took it all in silence.
Justice miscarried, and he was led off—
and did anyone really know what was happening?
He died without a thought for his own welfare,
beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried him with the wicked,
threw him in a grave with a rich man,
Even though he’d never hurt a soul
or said one word that wasn’t true.

Matthew 11:25-30 (MSG)
25-26 Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”
27 Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

He was beaten, tortured, slaughtered. Through it all, he never hurt a soul, never said a word that wasn’t true. Who will argue  that isn’t true? Who would argue against that?

Knowing what was to come, He laughed at the Elite and instead looked for the commoner, looked for the salt of the earth. That’s who the message is for, not the elites. I think that explains a lot about how He was received then and now. Who are you – and elite or one of the commoners? What do you want out of this life? How about the next life?

He promises: I’ll go over it with you, line by line – if you’re willing to listen. Line by line! He wants us to know, He wants us with Him. Listen, learn, love. How many Gods offer this kind of love, this kind of nurturing, this kind of tutoring? How many can? Christ and Christ alone.

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me He says, come to me. You can recover with me. Walk with me, work with me, I’ll show you real rest, real life, real freedom.

Christ is anti-Elite. He’s pro-life – yours and mine.  Listen and learn from the master.