“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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 is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30
I was reminded today that when Jesus offered for us to take his yoke upon ourselves it was a radical offer. We usually imagine the idea of two oxen ploughing the fields, under the same yoke - one of them being represented by us and the other by Christ. Jesus takes up the greater strain of the yoke and we are given a moment to rest.
However, there is another side to the illustration. Rabbi's also referred to the teaching of the law as a 'yoke.' And that when we chose to follow God, we lifted the yoke upon our shoulders and learnt the ways of God. However, this proved to be a burden for many people, as they felt the desperate weight of their sins and the bondage of the law. Jesus' invitation to a new 'yoke' is therefore an invitation to a new way of following God -the way of Love, Mercy and Grace.
May the words of Matthew 11 bless you with freedom, rest and peace, today.
Living in Grace
D3LM3
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