Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." // Matthew 8:20

“Goodnight,” I whisper to my eldest son, tiptoeing out of the room to avoid waking his younger sister who is finally asleep. I make my way downstairs to rest on the couch for five minutes before tidying. No sooner do I sit down than I hear a cry. The baby is up, and so am I, rushing to make a bottle. 

His eyelids droop as he nears the end of his snack and I’m able to return him to his crib in one try. Thank you, Jesus! Maybe I can take that break now? I head back to the living room and hear another cry from the monitor: “Mama!” It’s my daughter. She’s had a bad dream—and woken up her brother. I head back upstairs to calm them and bring the house peace (and hopefully quiet).

There are times in motherhood where I feel exhausted from all that needs doing. I’m often critical of the fact that I am tired and fall into fits of comparison to other seemingly thriving moms I know. But needing rest is not sinful, nor is it a sign of weakness.

Jesus needed rest, and given context clues, I imagine He is quite tired in today’s Gospel. Earlier in the chapter, He’s pulled in many directions, asked to perform miracles like cleansing a leper and healing the centurion's servant (Matthew 8:1-13). Then after sharing that “the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20), Jesus is woken up by His disciples for fear of a storm at sea (Matthew 8:23-27). 

In the midst of examples of Christ’s divinity, we are given a glimpse of His humanity: the need for sleep. And I feel a sense of permission from God—Who rested on the seventh day of Creation—it is okay to need rest. 

So, as we go about our days, especially when they feel extra full, let us take time to rest. And if we cannot find that time for ourselves, may we ask Jesus to help locate it and rest with us.