Dear Readers,
In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus is quoted as saying, “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.” (NKJV)
This can’t be right, can it? I thought our life in Christ is supposed to be hard? I thought we are to suffer persecution? I thought we are to toil to reach a standard of perfection?
I am not a theologian, but it seems Jesus is saying to us that before we come to Christ we labor and are heavy laden with sin and condemnation. He then bids us to “come” to Him.
After we come He says He will give us “rest”. He then says to take His “yoke” because He is “gentle and lowly in heart”. I thought yokes are meant to be confining and perhaps even cruel when we try to pull a heavy load?
He goes on to say that His “yoke is easy and his burden is light”. A yoke cannot be easy and a burden light, can they?
These are just some thoughts to ponder. What do you think?
See you next time,
Arlen
2 comments:
His yoke is easy, Arlen, because He carries it for us :). We just have to give it to Him, instead of trying to carry it all ourselves.
Thanks Joanne for your comment. I wrote the post because I felt some persons in my life were trying to make living for Jesus a very heavy burden, which I have never experienced. I acknowledge their point of view that living for Christ can be difficult. But all of mankind face difficulties, and what comfort and privilege it is to be yoked to a task where the loving driver is Jesus.
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