Feeling Yoked Lately

Stress. Anyone feel this one lately? Anxiety is a common experience. It does not take long for many of us to feel overwhelmed by the pressing needs of family, work, school and the world around us. How is it that good things like family, work, and even our religion can be our greatest sources of stress? What happens when even the things we do for God leave us feeling burdened and heavy laden. It is amazing how the trappings of religion can contort even the best actions. I find that often the most devoted feel the most burdened. Jesus confronts this reality in Matthew 11:28-30 Saying “Come to me all who labor and are heaven laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, 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.” What Jesus is confronting is the religions we create, whether that is a religion about what we believe about God, or a religion around our family or work. Religion is defined as a set of beliefs or purposes for which our life exists. Many of us create false religions believing we must do… we must be… we must give… always striving but never fully fulfilled. Instead Jesus says take my yoke; this is a play on words. We all know a yoke is that giant wood contraption farmers back in the day would place on the shoulders of oxen to till their crops. There is no way we would last long carrying around a yoke; it would be exhausting! Wait, but isn’t that really what most of us are doing? Carrying around an exhausting yoke. What Jesus was really saying was take upon yourself His teachings, His heart, and His beliefs about why you exist and what your purpose is. A “yoke” was in first century Judaism used to describe a Rabbi’s worldview, their specific teachings of the purpose of everything. Jesus is calling us away from religion and into a relationship.

Lessons from Jesus’ Yoke…
1. Jesus is our source of rest from religion, from duty to man, from our self made mouse wheels
2. Jesus is not like man; that is dominating and controlling, but rather is gentle and lowly in heart. He is patient and longsuffering, waiting for us, calling us into relationship with Him.
3. Learning from Jesus, bearing His yoke, is not supposed to be burdensome but life giving. If you feel burdened you need to stop and ask why?

 

Advertisement