PrintThe Yoke Principle
Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."(Matthew 11/28-30 NLT)
I'm finding myself being repeatedly drawn to this invitation of Jesus extended to those who are weary and carrying heavy burdens. There is something very lonely about that description. I think a lot of my friends in pastoral ministry fit that description – weary…heavy burdens… ….lonely.
In the offer for me to take His yoke upon myself, Jesus is offering the antidote to all three conditions. That antidote is His companionship. The imagery of the yoke is so beautiful in its application. We were never meant to undertake the work of God's Kingdom on our own. We were never meant to work for God. We were meant to work with God. That's one of the clear insights here.
Even in my so-called "retirement", I can see how easy it is to do my own thing. But such a mindset is a denial of the need for the yoke. What an incredible tragedy to turn down Jesus' invitation and go on being weary, carrying heavy burdens and enduring the isolation and loneliness of service for Jesus.
The alternative is so liberating. He is the 'senior partner' to whom I am yoked or harnessed and, as such, He takes the initiative, takes the greater part of the load, sets the pace and direction while I find the yoke now easy and the burden much lighter.
