Take My Yoke

Take My Yoke Upon You: Missio Dei 

 

 ‘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 11:29-30

When you are a cancer patient such as Pat, my wife, you carry a concern, a burden, that weighs heavy on you. This burden is also carried by the whole family and close friends.

Life is especially overwhelming for Pat this past year. But I notice that throughout the year, while receiving many cycles of chemotherapy and stem cells transplants; despite being admitted to hospital for five times and attending outpatient treatments about 2-3 times a week, Pat continues to be in high spirits, confident that the Lord Jesus will take care of her.

In these trying periods, Pat learned to transfer and share her burdens with Jesus, her Lord and Saviour.

‘Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.’ Psalm 55:22

Pat, the family and friends have learnt to harness ourselves to the ‘yoke’ of Christ

Farmers used a wooden yoke to strap the shoulders of two animals such as oxen or horses together so that they could combine strength to pull a load that would have been too much for one animal to carry.

Jesus Christ assures us that His yoke is easy. We can only surmise that He is taking on the heavier lifting; He takes on the larger share of the load. That way we lift off our burdens and give it to the Lord and Christ lifts it off our shoulders.

In hitching our shoulders to the yoke of Christ we learned:

• To move in the same direction as Christ, to be on the same path
• Not to carry the whole burden ourselves but to lean on Christ
• Being closely yoke, we become refreshed and can carry more than we ever thought we could.

That is why Saint Paul and all the early followers of Christ can say, despite persecution and hardships, sometimes leading to martyrdom:

‘We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed.’ 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Poor farmers often cannot afford oxen or horses; these farmers will yoke themselves to the plough to till the land. So when Jesus spoke of being yoked and carrying the weight upon His shoulders, His hearers in 1st Century Judea and Samaria, understood and emphatise completely. But Jesus meant that He carries the weight of the whole world not just a plough. He welcomes us who are burdened and heavy laden to be yoked to Him. 

There is no problem too big God solve it. He will help us lift that burden. He will carry you.

 ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’ Matthew 11:28

There is no problem too big God cannot solve it

There is no mountain too tall He cannot move it
And there is no storm too dark God cannot calm it
There is no sorrow too deep He cannot soothe it

If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know my brother that He will carry you
And if He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know my sister that He will carry you

‘For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.’ Psalm 62:5-7

Lionel