Matthew 11 - Switch yokes

Have you ever felt totally exhausted? Wiped out physically? Emotionally spent?

The picture (above) is of Liudmila Kalinchik of Belarus. Here she is on the finish line after the women's biathlon 15 km individual race at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Weary doesn't begin to capture how she's feeling does it?

We don't generally feel this extreme exhaustion do we? Though life can be busy can't it? Lately life's been busy around here. I've found myself feeling a little burdened and a lot weary! In the midst of it I've been 'hearing' those verses at the end of the chapter running through my head: "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest". "Come to me!" In the middle of the hectic pace and weariness these words are continually being whispered in my heart.

I'm tired today. Weary without a doubt. And so I've been wondering if Jesus really meant 'rest' in the physical sense of the word. Doesn't it mean 'restoration' - a restored relationship between us and God? Rest for our souls. It seems they often go together don't they? There isn't much physical rest if our souls are in turmoil. And sometimes our physical exhaustion causes our heart to feel burdened.

I looked up the Greek word 'rest' for Matthew 11:28 hoping to expand my understanding of Jesus' meaning and found the other English words used to translate 'rest' in this verse are: 'ease' and 'refresh'. There is definitely the idea of physical rest in the meaning.

God invites us to come to Him to 'ease' our situation. Not necessarily to remove it or to take us out of it but to ease it. How? I think that comes in the second invitation. "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. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (v29, 30)

It's a switching of 'yokes'.

Long before Jesus' invitation the Israelites were yoked. In the Old Testament we're reminded of this by the reference to the yoke of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 6:6) and by the yoke of oppression of other nations (Isaiah 9:4). Yokes that were removed by God. By the coming of Jesus the Pharisees had produced their own type of yoke by their expansion of and strict adherence to the law: a religion unlike anything God ever had in mind for His people - or for us. The apostle Paul writes to the church in Galatia and talks about the yoke of this un-Christlike religion.

Galatians 4:8&9 5:1
8Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Being yoked with Jesus is a great metaphor. If we think of the picture of two oxen linked together by the wooden bar of a yoke, both pulling the weight of the plow, neither having to do all the work, not a lone oxen, a pair. We can draw a lot of comfort from that picture and from the reality of being joined with Christ.

Sometimes though the burden can get in the way of the reality can't it? I think perhaps this happened to John the Baptist. In prison he became uncertain of his calling. Alone, physically far from Jesus, he needed reassurance that he had done the right thing in proclaiming Jesus as the One to save His people.

The Pharisees, caught up in their legalism, failed to see that the answer to this burden was right in front of them! Jesus was there - alive - willing to remove that yoke of oppression.

Cities of people caught in their own form of yoke couldn't see what Jesus had to offer. Corazon, Bethsaida, Capernaum all privileged to have witnessed Jesus' miracles still chose to cling to their own strength in life rather than to embrace His way.

Only children - and those who were childlike in faith - were able to accept Him.

Jesus recognized the weariness of carrying unnecessary burdens. He offered them a better way. He invited them ... "Come to me ..."

He invited them.

He invites us.

What will we choose? Will we be blinded by the current thing that we are yoked to? Will we cling to it? Or will we accept His invitation, trade yokes, and live a life united with Christ?

Lift your eyes up from your current surroundings and see that He is calling to you, "Come to me!"

Say are you weary? Are you heavy laden?
Burdened with sorrow, weighted down with care?
Are you in bondage? Do you want deliverance?
Come, then, with me there is refuge from despair.

I know a fount where sins are washed away.
I know a place where night is turned to day.
Burdens are lifted, blind eyes made to see;
There's a wonder working power in the blood of Calvary. - Oliver Cooke