My Yoke Is Easy and My Burden Is Light (Matthew 11:28-29)
Food for Thought
Jesus doesn't call us to the kind of rest that means inactivity or laziness. That would lead to spiritual atrophy. Instead, he promises a burden designed to fit our own frame, our individual needs, strengths, and capabilities.
If I put a flat, uncarved piece of wood on an ox’s neck and use it to pull a cart, very quickly pressure sores will break out on that animal’s neck, and he will be useless. A good yoke must be formed to the shape of an ox’s neck. It should cover a large area of skin to distribute the stresses widely. It should also be smooth, rounded, and polished with no sharp edges, so that no one point will endure unduly high stress. When we come to Jesus weary and heavy-laden, He removes those crushing burdens that would destroy any human, and replaces them with a yoke designed specifically for each person.
And here's more food for thought. Yokes are made for two, not one. We were not meant to go through life living apart from God. His yoke fits well and is lighter than the one we’ve been pulling all by ourselves. And connected to Jesus, it pulls quite easily. But don't forget, you can't be yoked to Jesus and go your own way anymore.
Return to Rest
Continue to Restoration
