For My Yoke Is Easy And My Burden Is Light

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"   2 Corinthians 6:14

These scriptures are staples of our Christian walk. Let’s look at this from a Jewish perspective.

From what I understand, during the time of Jesus’ ministry here on earth, a Rabbi's yoke was his way of interpreting the Torah.  The way to find out what a Rabbi’s yoke was, was to ask him what he thought was the most important commandment.

What was Jesus’ yoke?  Let’s see what His answer was when He was asked what the most important commandment was:

³⁶“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. ³⁸This is the great and foremost commandment. ³⁹The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:36-40

So what is Jesus’ yoke? Love God/Love your neighbor.  If that’s the yoke, then what’s the burden we’re pulling along with us? The burden is keeping the word of God.

The yoke is used to make the burden lighter.  If the yoke is to love God and to love our neighbor, then love compels us to keep the word of God, making the burden of keeping God’s word easier... lighter.  

Being unequally yoked means you are unable to keep up with what you’re yoked to because of size or ability or because of walking in opposing directions.  If the yoke you've taken up causes you to walk beside someone other than Jesus, then you are automatically unequally yoked.

We can apply the yoke to different areas of our lives, like marriage, relationships, etc… but I believe the crux of this scripture is all about Jesus!  If we’re not yoked along side Jesus, then who or what are we yoked to?  Religion?  Self?  Poverty?  Stress?  Anger? 

We need to be yoked to Jesus.  He’ll never take us in a direction we shouldn't be moving in or travel faster than we are able.

First published on July 9, 2013.

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