Sunday 06 July 2008
- Bible Book:
- Matthew
"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens 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." (v.28-30)
Background
When I learned English as a Spanish-speaking child I found somewords very confusing. They sounded the same but meant verydifferent things. People would laugh when I used the wrong one,which left me wondering what I had said that was so funny. One ofthese words was the one that describes the centre of an egg - ayolk. Imagine how confusing it must be to have people laughing whenyou say that Jesus said, "Take my yolk upon you ... "
I eventually discovered the difference between yolk and yoke and Igot the joke. A yoke is used to link two animals together in orderfor them to pull a cart or a plough. The people who Jesus wasspeaking to would have understood the yoke as a symbol of anunwilling burden being imposed on them. But Jesus was going tochange their understanding.
Jesus was teaching his confused followers about the way they shouldlive if they were to be his disciples. He compared the way manylived out their faith to children who refuse to play no matter whatyou offer them. When John the Baptist came, and by his life andteachings challenged the easy-going way people responded to God,they mocked him. When Jesus came and mixed with ordinary peopleothers complained about the bad company he kept.
Jesus tells his disciples that he and the Father are one. Hetherefore has the authority of God to teach whom he chooses andwhat he teaches.
In choosing them, Jesus is not offering a faith made a burden bycomplicated rules and rituals. In the way that a farmer takes careof his animals by lining a yoke so that it does not damage them,Jesus is offering his followers a relationship with God based onlove. A yoke 'lined with love'.
To Ponder
In what ways do our church services, or the workcarried out by the Church, make it difficult or easy for new peopleto understand that being Christian is being in a lovingrelationship with God?
In what ways does our relationship with God helpus to understand the difficult and easy parts to being a followerof Jesus?
In a time when most people live in cities and donot have close links with agriculture or the countryside whatcontemporary examples might you use alongside those given byJesus?