Take Up Your Yoke

We all know those Bible verses that we hear a lot, are quoted a lot, and are etched on wall decor at Hobby Lobby. I know for me, I tend to gloss over them thinking they don’t have anything to offer me, or sometimes I only read them through a certain lens.

Truthfully, sometimes I deny the Word of God the fact that it is living and effective. I deny the fact that every verse has the power to speak to me personally, and in a way differently than it did yesterday.

This was my experience with the verses from Matthew, when Jesus says: “Come to me, all 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.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

We’ve all heard it plenty of times. And until recently, I sort of avoided meditating on this verse.

I avoided it because it sort of made me frustrated.

We can all agree that our hearts crave the rest that Jesus offers. We all desire a life that is “easy” and “light.” And yet, even living a life striving in service of the Lord, we all are faced with the un-avoidable fact of suffering. In fact, how many lives of the Saints show that following after Jesus frequently only increases our amount of earthly suffering?

I’ve come to You, Lord, now, uh, where is this easy yoke you promise?

I think the answer might actually lie in our understanding of the yoke.

First off, what is a yoke? The dictionary defines a yoke as:

---

“a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals

and attached to the plow or cart that they are to pull.”

---

Immediately, some thoughts come to mind: First, a yoke, by its very definition, is related to work, a job, or a task. It is not something that is frequently described as “easy.”

Secondly, what is the yoke that Jesus carried? What is the piece of wood that He carried on His shoulders?

I don’t think we can possibly read this passage without the context of the Cross.

And this is where my confusion builds. Jesus’s Cross is far from what I would describe as an easy yoke, a light burden. In fact, quite the opposite. But this is what you’re inviting me to, Jesus? To pick up my yoke, my cross, and in this way I will find rest?

But maybe my understanding of a burden is imperfect, too. Am I looking for a burden with the least amount of earthly suffering attached to it?

Really, Jesus doesn’t say that we will find physical rest when we accept His yoke. He doesn’t say we will escape pain. He says we will find rest for our souls.

Is there possibly deep peace, deep rest of the soul, available even in the midst of deep suffering?

A yoke is also described as being placed across two animals to carry. Jesus tells us to learn from Him. Jesus is the perfect teacher. And as such, his teaching involves accompaniment.

Maybe, the invitation is not to an easy life, but to a life that no matter what it brings He will be with us. Every step of the way. Every step of the way of the Cross.

So maybe this verse isn’t about Jesus promising a cushy life. Maybe it’s about much more. Maybe it’s time to view our current struggles through a new lens. And maybe it’s time to read it again and let His truth sink in to us anew.