My yoke is easy, and my burden light. (Matthew 11:30)
It might not sound all that appealing to take on
a yoke at this point in Advent. You may well be busy with preparations
for Christmas, maybe feeling anxious about gift giving or overwhelmed by
cleaning and cooking. And all of this comes on top of your everyday
duties: work, carpooling, maintaining your household!
Rest and retirement sound much better than a burdensome yoke. What we
want is a break. But Jesus tells us his yoke is easy, his burden is
light, and we will actually find the rest we are looking for as we let
him place this yoke on our already weary shoulders. How can this be?
Yokes were made to help a team of oxen do their work faster and more
efficiently. Wearing a yoke, the oxen walk side by side; they work side
by side. They still have a job to do, but they share the burden. Their
cooperation makes the task so much easier because they are both pulling
together.
When Jesus invites us to take his yoke, he promises to be the one
walking next to us, working right alongside us. Sharing a yoke with
Jesus doesn’t make our responsibilities disappear, but it sure does make
things easier! Not only does he help us carry the load, but we learn
from him as we spend time walking beside him. [emphasis, mine]
Let’s follow the example of the yoked oxen. Walking side by side with
Jesus, our task becomes easy and light as we keep our eyes on the next
step. And the next one. And the one after that.
So don’t focus on how many steps there are. Just take a breath, and
take the next step—with Jesus beside you. Over time, you’ll get there.
You will learn from Jesus, your teammate, and you’ll get there faster
and feel stronger!
That’s not such a discouraging prospect, is it? Far from being a
burden, Jesus’ yoke can help you work more effectively. It links you to
the best Companion you could ever have. You are no longer alone as you
face the tasks at hand. Jesus is with you, right beside you, sharing the
load.
“Lord, I will take your yoke upon me. I want to walk closely with you and learn from you!”
from wau.org
