28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

image of a yoke

If you were like me you have always heard the Bible verse about my yoke being easy. If you were like me, you didn’t know what that mean. Maybe you thought it was a type of egg he was referring to. I felt led to share what a yoke is in my blog.

At the First Apostolic Church (FAC) in Maryville, TN a short while back, Pastor Carpenter explained briefly about what a yoke is. This was during his sermon on Spirit of Invitation from the February 10, 2013 evening service. (I will post my notes from that sermon, subscribe to my blog so you won’t miss a post)

Dictionary.com states:

1. a device for joining together a pair of draft animals, especially oxen, usually consisting of a crosspiece with two bow-shaped pieces, each enclosing the head of an animal.

2. a frame fitting the neck and shoulders of a person, for carrying a pair of buckets or the like, one at each end.

3. an emblem or symbol of subjection, servitude, slavery, etc., as an archway under which prisoners of war were compelled to pass by the ancient Romans and others.

4. something that couples or binds together; a bond or tie.

image of a cracked egg with yolk

With Christ all things are possible. Christ will help lead our way, guide our path. The yoke we carry is light, especially compared to the cross that Christ carried to die for our sins. Jesus has set up free from the yoke, without Jesus we become slaved to sin. Galatian 5:1 shows us this.

With Jesus helping us with our burdens he is helping us carry our yoke, making it easy to carry and not constricting. Jesus takes our burdens and carries them with us. The bond of the yoke, helps you be as strong as the other, to help make things easier. So the yoke from Christ, it is very light, very easy to use, won’t hold you down or weigh you down. We just have to trust in Christ. Without Jesus the yoke would be hard to carry. Remember with Christ all things are possible, with man it is not.

It is easier to train the young animal to carry the yoke while it is young, then when it gets older. So bring up your children in the way of the Lord. Teach them to obey all things that the Lord has commanded.

Below is a quote I found by Jim McGuiggan.

“This all sounds right to me, still, if Christ was very demanding, in what sense is his yoke easy and his burden light? Well, I don’t think we’re to take these words as meaning his demands are less (clearly they aren’t). My suspicion is that we’re to think of the yoke and burden assuited to the needs and longings of the people. If you long for fullness of life and if someone you trust as kind shows you how you can have it and fits you out with what you need to get it then the yoke and burden have your heart’s consent! You aren’t chafing, then, under the yoke and you aren’t continuously irritated by pointless weight.”

Looking at BibleGateway.com the word “yoke” is found in the New Living Translation 32 times; while the New International Version shows the word, 60 times and the King James Version shows the word, 58 times.

So what did you think a yoke was? Did you think it was an egg, animal device or anything else? Do you have anything you wish to share? Comments are welcome!

On this day..

• I made the Courageous Pledge Today - 2012

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