Under The Yoke

Did you note that in the words quoted from Matthew 11:28, 29, Jesus said: "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me." Back then, a common man might have felt as though he were working under a yoke. From ancient times, the yoke had been illustrative of slavery or servitude. (Genesis 27:40; Leviticus 26:13; Deuteronomy 28:48) Many of the day laborers whom Jesus met worked with an actual yoke on their shoulders, carrying heavy burdens. Depending on how a yoke was fashioned, it could be easy on the neck and shoulders or it could chafe. As a carpenter, Jesus may have made yokes, and he would have known how to shape one that was "kindly." Perhaps he lined the contact points with leather or cloth to make the yoke as comfortable as possible.

When Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you," he could have been likening himself to one who provided well-made yokes that would be "kindly" to a workman's neck and shoulders. Thus, Jesus added: " My load is light." this signified that the yoke bar was not unpleasant to use, and the work was not slavish either. Granted, by inviting his listeners to accept his yoke, Jesus was not offering immediate relief from all oppressive conditions then current. Still, the change of viewpoint he presented would bring considerable refreshment. Adjustments in their life-style and way of doing things would relieve them too. More to the point, a clear and solid hope would help them to find life less stressful.

Next time: Refreshment Can Be Yours