Be Still And Know

Matthew 11:28-30 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…For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” The ‘yoke of the law’ was an expression that the rabbis in Jesus’ day often used. Everyone would have been familiar with the sight of two animals pulling a heavy load, firmly attached to one another by a wooden yoke. Jesus knew that when people were yoked to the requirements of the Jewish law it could be incredibly oppressive. He offered another yoke and his was completely different. It was still a yoke, and therefore very demanding, but it was both easy and light. Those who accepted it could find refreshment and renewal. When two oxen work together in a yoke, they can be immensely powerful and effective, but it is crucial that it fits comfortably. An ill-fitted yoke could cause agony. In these chapters Jesus spelled out the massive demands that are placed on his disciples. It’s a life that is full