“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30, NIV.
Dear God, please allow us to enter your presence and be blessed by the truth from your Word; for Christ’s sake. Amen.
What was happening in Palestine at the time Jesus spoke these words? Let’s take a look.
Jesus had recently given one of the most famous discourses of all time: The Sermon on the Mount. “Never man spake as [He!]” This discourse had revolutionized everything they had known before! It had even split ways with the Torah’s “eye for an eye” and “tooth for a tooth.” Jesus had replaced it with His ” ‘But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer.’ ” He had defied their laws of purification by touching a leper, and, by not rebuking the woman with the flow of blood, who touched Him.
The Jews were obviously expecting a messiah who would form a powerful army and free them from Roman domination. Instead, Jesus calls twelve men, so inadequately prepared that one of them, aiming at a man’s head, cuts off the man’s ear! If that was not bad enough He sends them forth to win souls! But the worst was yet to come. Instead of them fighting against their enemies, He tells them that their enemies are those of their own household! Can it get any worse? Observe.
John the Baptist is in prison. His future does not look very promising. Surely Jesus would not leave Him there to perish at the mercy of sinful Herod. After all, he and Jesus are cousins! When Jesus does not use His “supernatural” power to free him, John sends his disciples to confirm that Jesus is, in fact, “the One.” Or, “should we look for another?” Jesus goes to the home of a centurion and brings his little daughter back to life, while John dies in prison, beheaded. But thank God, not before he received evidence that this was indeed the Christ! He found rest in this knowledge.
Not much has changed. Jesus’ brand of Christianity still defies all our religiosity. He still bids us to “not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” He is still calling the weak of this world and equipping them to take the Gospel to the four corners of the globe. Many “worthy” people are still dying from terminal illnesses, while many “undeserving” (in our estimation) are given a second chance at life.
So today, as back then, we are blessed by taking His yoke upon us and learning of Him. When we become one with Christ we realize that what we thought was piety was nothing but filthy rags. When our minds are transformed by living within His will, we come face to face with the truth that we deserve, nothing. Every good gift is the result of God’s grace, not our merit. As Henry Wright once said, he prayed for healing for his mother, but received the hope of the resurrection. So did John the Baptist! There will still be things that we will not understand, but our world will not come to a screeching halt. Life will go on! And life will no longer be a burden, for His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.