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"Take My Yoke Upon You and Learn Of Me"
A yoke, by definition, is a "means of governing an animal by linking them together for greater strength." Our society is so unfamiliar with yokes that we would literally have to visit a Third World country to visualize such a thing. Whether we have actually seen or had any experience with yokes is irrelevant because very few of us would voluntarily take one on. The very idea of bearing a yoke is contrary to our love of freedom, yet Jesus used this analogy when instructing his people how to lighten their load. As individuals, we have adopted the Burger King philosophy, "we simply want to have things our way." Therefore, to take on a yoke is a stretch that challenges us all. Jesus knew that those who walked in fellowship with Him would bear physical, emotional, and spiritual burdens, so he invited them to learn of Him. He knew that their only means of finding rest from the troubles and stresses of this life would come as a result of them allowing Him to govern and direct their lives. The yoke Jesus refers to is significant because it helps to give us balance and makes the obstacles we bear easier to manage. Before I continue on with this topic, I would like to pause for a moment to share with you a revelation that I’ve discovered. As a believer, Christian, saint, or whatever you choose to call yourselves, you will encounter problems in this life. I have struggled greatly and continue to do so in this area. When I first accepted Jesus as my personal Savior, I thought if a believer experienced trouble, he or she lacked the necessary faith God required. When I looked at what seemed to be an easy life for faith teachers like Jakes, Meyers, and Parsley, I begin to question my walk with the Lord. What I failed to see or had no knowledge of, was the path these gifted people took to get to this point. It was only after I grew in my walk with the Lord that I realized these people bore even heavier burdens while attempting to get to their present level in God. They, too, struggled in their faith walk and dealt with the hustle and bustle of everyday life just as I did. For author Meyers, the challenge of enjoying life was such a fete for her that she uses it as a theme to her show as she invites us to start " enjoying everyday life." If enjoying everyday life seems difficult or impossible to you then allow me to invite you as our Lord already has, to take the yoke of Jesus upon you. His yoke is nothing more than his way of doing things. In the book of Matthew 11:28, the Savior invites those who "labour and are heavy laden" to come unto Him. In addition to its literal meaning, the concept of a yoke also appears as a metaphor for bondage or servitude. (Jeremiah 28:2) To take on Christ’s yoke means that we will humbly do his will and allow him to guide and direct our lives. Why was this so important for the believers in Jesus day, and why are we invited to do the same? The author of Matthew answers this question in chapter 11, verse 30, "My (Jesus) yoke is easy, and my burden is light." The Savior’s yoke is easy in the sense that it is shared with the Lord and he can compensate for our lack of capacity and inability. Some people think that the Lord’s teachings are "too restrictive and that that is in itself a burden," but when we realize that as we obey and serve the Lord, our burdens become lighter because we can now avoid the consequences of sin and the associated guilt. In the phrase, "Take my yoke upon you," the yoke has several implications. One of the first things we acquire from taking on the yoke is that our passions and desires for the ungodly and the immoral are brought under control. The nature of our culture has made the desires of the flesh so accessible that ungodliness is rampant and nearly acceptable. As a spiritually immature believer, a yoke seemed oppressive to me. I could not equate ease with carrying a yoke. The reason for this is because I, like so many of you, had taken God out of the equation. It would be physically impossible for me to bear the yoke alone, but as I gained perspective, I realized that taking on anything with God in control, is easier because I am free of the suffering that it brings. Another consideration I gathered concerning yokes is that "they address our stubborn hearts." Far too many of us have stubborn hearts that resist the power of God just as the people did in Jesus’ day. They were so bound by tradition that they were ready to condemn him for healing a man on what they considered was the Sabbath. (See Mark 3) Taking on the yoke of Christ allows us to govern our hearts so that we are willing and open to see God at work in our lives and in the lives of others. A major reason we resist the idea of bearing a yoke is because for us, the yoke suggests work. We resist it because we feel that it will cause us to expend a little more energy than we are willing to, but what we fail to realize is that the yoke has more to with discipline than work. Because we are tempted by our earthly desires and needs, the yoke of Jesus becomes an essential tool in that, it guides our thoughts and actions. It does so by allowing us to see things as Jesus did. Many people resist this premise because it makes us more concerned with pleasing God than ourselves. Many people consider this desire for God a burden and want nothing to do with it. So what’s all this talk about taking on the yoke and why is it so difficult for us to acquire. "The yoke of Christ is all about mind and heart. It helps shape us in the image of God. It equips us to deal with our egos, which drives us to do all kinds of things. It brings (as the writer of 2Corinthians declares) "every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." 2Corinthians 10: 5 (KJV) The yoke helps us to love the things of God more than worldly things. While we see it as an unnecessary burden, Jesus advocated that it would lighten our load. Even with the knowledge of his burden removing power, Jesus never forced himself upon anyone. Instead, he allows us to make a decision to take on his yoke. In doing so, we surrender our will and control to a higher power. This task has always been difficult to grasp with our physical intellect, which is why we struggle. The yoke helps us to determine what is important and what is insignificant. Lacking it, makes us susceptible to many of the enemy’s wiles. So, in summary, the yoke of Christ makes us "aware of God’s perspective on things, and assists us in resisting temptations and extending our lives to others. It also gives us vision to see more clearly all the aspects of our life." Jesus’ appeal for us to take on his yoke shows his role in our salvation. Just as he willingly took on the yoke of Savior and Redeemer, our attitude should be the same as his. Our ultimate goal as believers should be to save a dying world. The yoke of God extends our understanding of Him and his eternal purposes for us and for his church. Travestine J. Wright
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