MY YOKE IS KINDLY AND LIGHT
“Come to me, all you that are weary
and are carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you,
and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest
for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden in light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 NRSV.
The compelling invitation set forth above,
must be balanced by what Jesus says elsewhere regarding the demands placed on
one who becomes His disciple. For example, He also said, “Whoever comes to
me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and
sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not
carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. . So therefore,
none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions” (Luke 14:25-33 NRSV).
How can the principle of Christian
discipleship being “easy” and “light” be reconciled with the heavy demand
of that discipleship presented in Luke? The
answer turns on the matter of burden bearing and our attitudes towards such. As
humans, we each carry heavy burdens due to our personal imperfections and the
quality of life we live. It is not so much the circumstances we find ourselves
in but how we evaluate those conditions that determine the weight of burdens we
bear. Burdens are increased or lessened by the spirit we possess. lf we live
out the spirit of resentment, anger, selfishness, envy, pride, self-pity and
other such negative and hurtful attitudes, life will be a heavy burden no
matter what the general quality of our circumstances may be. On the other hand,
if our mind and heart are dominated by the spirit of gratitude, generosity,
forgiveness, patience, appreciation, kindness and mercy, life’s burdens will be
decidedly lessened.
Jesus knew, and true disciples experience,
the transforming power of God’s Holy Spirit acting upon the heart and mind. It is within this transforming experience
that the disciple undergoes the removal of those heavy burdens that rob him or
her of contentment, joy and hope. Discipleship, even though it demands all of us in every
way, thus becomes something both desirable and rewarding. Those who have
experienced and are experiencing God’s Spirit within them causes them “both
to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). Such ones experience the lifting of burdens
caused by worldly (sinful) thinking. The new burdens of discipleship are
truly light in comparison because they are viewed as precious opportunities to
show gratitude to God and faithfulness to Jesus as Lord.
This new life in which the Spirit of God
ultimately dominates every thought and action is the realm of reality in which
the disciple experiences peace and joy. It is not that life’s difficulties are
removed, but rather that they are viewed from a different perspective—a
perspective made possible by the Spirit of God. When it becomes natural to
put the interest of others ahead of one’s self; when it becomes natural to
love God and Christ more than any other human relationship; then, and only
then, will we understand what Jesus meant when He said, “my yoke is easy,
and my burden light.
Ron
Frye
“Jesus invites us
to take His yoke upon our shoulders. The
Jews used the phrase the yoke for entering into submission to. They spoke
of the yoke of the Law, the yoke of the commandments, the yoke of the Kingdom, and
the yoke of God. But it may well be that
Jesus took the words of His invitation from something much nearer home than that He says, “My
yoke is easy.” The word easy in Greek means well-fitting. In
Palestine ox-yokes were made of wood; the ox was brought, and the measurements
taken. The yoke was then roughed out,
and the ox was brought back to have the yoke tried on. It was carefully adjusted, so that it would
fit well, and not gall the neck of the beast.
The yoke was tailor-made to fit the ox…It may well be that Jesus is here
using a picture from the carpenter’s shop in Nazareth where he had worked
throughout the silent years.
Jesus says, “My yoke fits well” meaning, ‘The life I give you is not a burden to gall
you; your task is made to measure to fit you.’ Whatever He sends us is made to fit our needs
and abilities exactly.
“My burden is light.” It is not that the
burden is easy to carry; but it is laid on us in love; it is meant to be
carried in love; and love makes even the heaviest burden light. When we remember the love of God, when we
know that our burden is to love God and to love men, then the burden becomes a
song. There is a story that tells how a
man came upon a little boy carrying a still smaller boy, who was lame, upon his
back. “That’s a heavy burden for you to carry,” said the man. “Oh
no’, that’s no’ a burden,” came the answer. “That’s my wee brother!” Yes, the burden that is given in love and
carried in love is always light.
William Barclay