Take My Yoke!

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for your souls.  Matthew 11:29 (Reference Bible)

This is probably one of the Bible´s most celebrated sweet texts.

Probably too, it has been made to mean more things by the many different interpretations people have tried to give it.

For sure we are not here to step out over and against any other person nor rob them of the benefit that they have received from the Spirit in their own personal favorite meaning.

So we will approach the text with an eye for a little instruction and feel blessed if we are drawn closer to Jesus in some way from our efforts.

Jesus came teaching the good news of His Father´s kingdom.  People needed to know there was something better out there.  This was true then and it is true now.  We see the situation around us and it is difficult to imagine a different and perfect order of things completely outside of what we know and see.

Unfortunately when we are confronted with this ¨other¨ reality, the reaction many times is not to give it enough importance.  This had to be very frustrating for Jesus, who had been there and knew all that this ¨other kingdom¨ meant for you and I.  God has had to deal with this problem in His people throughout the ages.  The Bible is full of accounts of God expressing His anger, disappointment and disapproval at our lack of faith in that ¨other realm¨ where all things are of greater importance than to that of our own.

So when Jesus asks us who are struggling and heavy burdened, to approach Him.  It would be wonderful to not include ourselves with those who let Him down.  He cares for us and invites us to draw near because He knows He can help.

One would be tempted to think that Jesus would wipe away that what is afflicting us as we can see that this would ease our pain and suffering.  But that is not what Jesus does.  Instead He offers us a different burden or ¨yoke¨.  A yoke may not be the burden itself but it does tie us to it so that we bear the weight in a different way.

However Jesus never pushes us back upon the world, but consistently directs our attention towards God´s kingdom or that ¨other realm¨.  Here human reason cannot help us.  He is the expert and we need to trust Him.  He offers us the burden He carries of living towards this ¨other kingdom¨.  He tells us to look to Him and learn from Him, not because He is confident and loud, but because he is honest and not puffed up.

Wisdom proves itself sometimes in this way.  The man who truly knows what he is talking about does not need to assert his opinion over his opponent, but the one who merely thinks he is right, may feel the need to argue his point heatedly and loudly.

Jesus sees that the burden of living here in our world is sometimes unsupportable.  We must be on our guard against innumerable threats and difficulties.  But He did not struggle through life like we do.  He did suffer, but His suffering was through conscious acceptance of bearing our sins and paying for them with His life while being free of His own guilt.

No, the burden Jesus bore throughout His life was lighter in the respect that He was slaving towards a different set of goals.  He worked towards the kingdom of His Father and to please Him in all that He did.  This kind of burden is in sharp contrast to the burdens you and I carry each day.

What a joy it would be to rather load upon ourselves the weight of living to please the very One we claim to love and serve.  If we could forget ourselves enough, we would not need to be under the weight the world puts upon us.  We could be yoked to and carrying Jesus´ burden like He did before us.  We could strive to please God and work towards His kingdom which lies on a completely different level.  That level and that ¨realm¨ where God reigns supreme are so much higher and more pleasing to concern ourselves with.

Dear Lord, give us today a different burden from the heavy one we have been trying to carry.  Please let us learn from you and shift our struggling towards a higher and lighter yoke.  Tie us to this new burden for the Lord, we would be happy to know we are carrying something.  But please show us how and help us make that ¨other kingdom¨ to be as important as You know it is for us.  Then if there would be any rest at all, let it be for us a rest in You.

We ask this in Your name, dear Jesus.

Amen

Scott W