"Take My Yoke Upon You"

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Pastor Steuart Payne used this passage as the basis for his lesson today and while I was listening I saw pictures in my mind of, firstly, what a yoke is and, secondly, how powerful that image is.

The yoke Pastor Steu was talking about  is a wooden beam normally used between a pair of oxen to enable them to pull together when working in pairs and looks something like this:

The pairing needs to be equal in order to be efficient so you need to yoke two animals of similar size and strength like this:

You can see that the yoke falls across the shoulders of both oxen so that they share the load.

That is what it looks like to be yoked to Jesus. He told us to take on His yoke for His yoke is easy. This means that for us to yoke ourselves to Him we are working alongside Him and being led by Him. He will help us to carry our burdens and fears so that we are not overwhelmed by them. We can only gain strength from this, but we must make sure that we are always walking alongside Him throughout our daily lives.

Many of us carry our burdens all by ourselves like this:

Isn't it great to know that we don't have to - that there is someone who is not only able but willing to help with the load? Thank you, Jesus!

Others turn to the wrong kind of help - to those who will in fact only increase the weight we carry. This is what the enemy wants us to do. He wants us to turn from God as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden and follow the ways of this world, which are not God's ways. He wants to separate us from God's love and light!

2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

Here is an example of what an unequal yoking looks like:

The yoke isn't even touching the mule's shoulders! Which means that the ox is not only carrying the whole load but the weight of the yoke as well! The ways of the world are like that mule - no help to you whatsoever - because the world in general doesn't really care, and in some cases will add to your burdens and bring you down further. Yes there are good people out there who don't believe in God, but they are merely human and will fail you eventually.

The yoke of Jesus, who is both fully human (so understands human frailty) and fully God (at one with the Father) - this is the only yoke you can rely on!

I'm reminded of the yoke that Jesus had to bear for our sins - the cross!

He had to carry this through the streets of Jerusalem being jeered at, spat upon and reviled by all those He passed - and all this after being beaten and whipped till His flesh was torn so badly that He was almost unrecognisable! He had objects and insults hurled at Him all along the route and was finally nailed to that awful burden to die a horrible death at the end of His long and arduous walk. 

This was His yoke! All of our sins were laid upon that cross. He literally carried the whole weight of our sin with Him to His death. And when He died, all our sins died with Him so that we can choose to live free and be back in relationship with the Father.

Since He did that for us, why wouldn't we choose to take up our cross and follow Him? This man, this Son of God, the Word made flesh showed us how to live in love and peace and harmony. He taught us that there is no other way to the Father but through Him. Yes, it's a narrow path but a sound one and He will be with us throughout our journey, helping and guiding us, through the Holy Spirit whom He sent to be our constant partner, friend amd companion. 

John 16:7 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."

John 16:13-14 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you."

Hallelujah!

He is the Way, the Truth and the Life! Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Salvation! Ever present, ever faithful, always approachable! Wherever you are, He will be with you! Just call on His name and He will hear! Don't struggle alone - give yourself to Jesus and He will help you with whatever it is that is weighing you down. 

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

All I can say to that is,

Amen!