1.16.10 "The Yoke is On You"

"The Yoke is On You"

Genesis 32:13-34:31
Matthew 11:7-30
Psalm 14:1-7
Proverbs 3:19-20

The title begs for a Sven & Ole joke (yoke for the Scandinavians). One day Sven & Ole go ice fishing. They get to one spot and they hear a voice from above saying, "There are no fish under the ice." They move about 25 feet away and hear it again "There are no fish under the ice." Finally Ole asks, "Are you God?" The voice returns, "No, I'm the skating rink announcer."

Well, that's not the kind of yoke we're talking about today. These verses from Matthew today are some of my favorite.

"Come to me and I will give you rest - all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke. Wear my yoke - for it fits perfectly - and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for you souls; for I give you only light burdens." Matthew 11:28-30

Our traditional understanding of a yoke is a collar type thing that is put over two oxen to pull the load together. There was another application for those Jesus was speaking to. The Law was considered a yoke. Matthew Henry's Bible Commentary says, "Those who complain of the burden of the ceremonial law, which was an intolerable yoke, and was made much more so by the tradition of the elders, let them come to Christ, and they shall be made easy; he came to free his church from this yoke, to cancel the imposition of those carnal ordinances, and to introduce a purer and more spiritual way of worship; but it is rather to be understood of the burthen of sin, both the guilt and the power of it.

The laws of God had become so burdensome in the hands of men. Christ came to give us a new burden. His burden is easy & light.

What burdens do you carry today? How heavy they are to you may be an indication that some things may be out of balance.

If we are carrying the load the Lord has given us, it's never too much. When we take the yoke of Christ, we are joined together with him. Going back to the symbolism in the context of oxen, we can observe if we are walking in the yoke of Christ. If the burden seems out of balance, there are several things that may be happening.

First, we may be trying to move in a different direction. God has plans for our life, and sometimes we get our eyes off course, and want to pull a certain way. The result is this struggle against the yoke.

Another problem may be that we are moving against God's timing. We may be trying to move ahead of God. We see the goal, we see what he's called us to do, and we wanna jump after it. Just because it's his will does not mean that it's his timing. We may also be moving too slow. The Lord may be spurring us on to move in a certain direction, and we drag our feet. Once again there is tension in the yoke.

How does your yoke feel on you today? Is it heavy, is it light? The yoke of Christ is a yoke of peace. When there are storms and trials and tragedy, there is still such a sense of strength and endurance because of the one who has borne the weight of the load.

We are not "adding" Christ to our life, We are giving him our life. We don't reach out and touch the yoke occasionally. We must bear his yoke upon us. that means give him everything.

Matthew Henry's states:
A yoke speaks some hardship, but if the beast must draw, the yoke helps him. Christ’s commands are all in our favour: we must take this yoke upon us to draw in it. We are yoked to work, and therefore must be diligent; we are yoked to submit, and therefore must be humble and patient: we are yoked together with our fellow-servants, and therefore must keep up the communion of saints: and the words of the wise are as goads, to those who are thus yoked.

No matter how big the trial, how busy the schedule, or terrifying the storm may seem, when Christ is the Lord, the yoke is easy and the burden is light. There is tremendous freedom in submission to Christ. It's not a yoke of bondage, it's a yoke of freedom. All other yokes lead to bondage & death.

So, what yoke is on you?




Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ