Many years ago I discovered In Clearwater a place of prayer on the shores of Tampa Bay. Near one of the buildings there was a rose garden and in the center of the rose garden there was a ten foot high statue of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, with a lamb across his shoulders. That statue still captivates me because of the way it expressed to me the gentleness and kindness of Jesus. Maybe that is the reason I focused on the words; weary, rest, gentle, humble, easy and light in today’s opening verses.
But, when I do that I miss the point Jesus was making. That point is within a word used twice in the passage: yoke.
For Jesus the yoke represents obedience to God. To take Jesus’ yoke is to be obedient to His commandments about the Kingdom of God. It means a willingness to serve others with humility and mercy. His yoke is easy and his burden is light not because there is little to do for His followers. This is a yoke he is offering, not a hammock. Jesus’ yoke will include carrying our cross in a world that can be very hostile to God’s Kingdom.
Jesus’ yoke is appealing to me because his yoke is the only place my soul has found true comfort, rest and satisfaction. That’s because yoked to Jesus is where I was created to be.
What does today’s reading reveal to you about God?
What does it reveal to you about yourself?
Think about what God wants you to do or remember about this passage.
Does God want you to change anything in your life?
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