Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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
It should come as no surprise to you to hear that a yoke is a tool used to till ground with the help of certain beasts of burden. Still used regularly in all parts of the world, this tool is fitted on the neck of one or many creatures as they walk forward carrying the mechanisms for digging a trench or tilling the ground.
Jesus says that His yoke is easy. If you perceive that a yoke is a tool, that means that Jesus’ tool for bearing any burden is not heavy on the neck. It doesn’t weigh you down when in motion.
You might feel worn out. To use an old cliché, you might feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. The struggles we face in life have a way of piling up all at once. Many times, we have a way of trying to cope with those struggles on our own. We use our own yoke in an effort to power through tough times. Just grit our teeth a bit harder. Suck it up and drive on, we tell ourselves.
But Christ didn’t say that our yoke was easy, only His. In other words, if we are to make it through life’s challenges, we need to come to Jesus. We offer our cares to Him in prayer. We spend time dwelling on His words. We gather together with others who are devoted to Him. Often, His yoke comes in the form of other people who listen well and offer valuable support in our hour of need.
It's time for a lighter yoke. Come and get it.