Who Are You Yoked To?

A yoke is not a think we commonly see used in our culture. It is usually used to bind to animals - oxen, or horses together so that they move as one and have the power of two. In this way, both animals share the weight of the load they are carrying, and one does not get more worn down than the other.

We are all yoked, metaphorically speaking, to someone or something. A relationship, performance, an image or a standard we must achieve. When we yoke ourselves to things that are temporal by nature, we miss a very big blessing that Jesus is waiting to give us.

"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 at heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.'"

I'm going to point out just a couple of reasons why this is my favorite verse. Firstly, it is an invitation from Jesus himself directly to me. I often find myself physically and emotionally in need of rest. This verse is super clear that those who can identify with this need are those he is speaking to. The Psalmist also echos the same theme in Psalm 27:9 "My heart has heard you say, 'Come and talk with me,' and my heart responds, 'Lord, I am coming." What a peaceful picture of a loving father drawing his exhausted, dirty, shame-filled child into his embrace. Can you feel the rest he longs to give us, to lay our heads on his chest and hear his heartbeat...so comforting and restful.

The next thing I tend to find comfort in is the character of Jesus in this verse. "Let me teach you...I am humble and gentle at heart" This is a request, not a demand. We don't have to be taught by Jesus, but we will allow someone to teach us. Now once again, I don't know about you, but I have had teachers that were demanding, harsh, prideful and impossible to please. Nothing I did was ever good enough. Jesus is the exact opposite. From experience, Jesus is meek, not pushy, and gentle in his approach. This is the kind of person I want to follow. The kind of leader that leads by good example. Will not ask of you something he himself is not willing to do.

When Jesus says, "Take up your cross" we know that it is something he himself has done on our behalf. When we walk the valley of death and are lonely, he feels our pain, understands our anxious heart and can be trusted because he too, walked there and felt lonely.

The thing that stands out to me the biggest is "you will find rest for your souls." This is a promise. Titus 1:2 tells us that "God does not lie", and James 1:17 says that "he does not change nor cast a shifting shadow." If God has promised it, it will happen.

God has promised that if was link our lives with Jesus if we willing allow our lives to be yoked to his, walk in his ways, in his direction and at his speed we will have the rest our souls so relentlessly are searching for in this world.