In the time of Christ, wealthy merchants would come to buy and sell goods. But their carts would not fit in the narrow streets. Customarily, a poor peasant was fetched to carry the load to its destination.

So when Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest,” He wasn’t just using a nice metaphor—he literally was speaking to the poor and downtrodden, forgotten-about people in society.

Imagine a young peasant, shoulders and body sore from a day of lugging about heavy goods. He hears Jesus speak of rest. Rest—not just for the body, but for the soul. Eternal hope in a world of hopelessness.

To the world then and the world now, Jesus’ words are soothing. They echo into the poorest of communities, the most forgotten of nations. To the children who are tossed about in war-torn, poverty-stricken countries. They are music to the ears of those the world has left behind.